Storm Warning: The Rise of a Champion
by The Altrox
Summary: The tale of a young trainer and his Squirtle as they take destiny into their own hands, whether the journey takes them through the sun or the shadows. Adventure, friendship, love, and hardships... A lot can happen in just three years. Original region and characters.
1. Chapter 1: Wishful Thinking

**Okay, for those of you with an impeccable memory, I posted this story before, but I removed the first chapters. Not only did I want to do a whole lot of revision, but I had no idea where I wanted to go with this. I have a basic idea now. It's going to be a story about a young trainer who goes on an adventure. Sounds a bit generic, but I want to build off that. I already have four written chapters, and I'll post them one at a time over the next few weeks.**

**Now, just so you guys know, this isn't based off the game or anime, so things might be changed from what you typically know about pokemon. If you have questions, ask, and I'll gladly answer. This is slight stream of consciousness writing, but not fully, so stick with it. The story will get better, so read and REVIEW! I feel sad when I get 60 hits and no reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, Rhyperior would never have existed. Thank you for letting the badass we call Rhydon evolve into a giant turd… (I hope none of you stop reading because you like Rhyperior.)**

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**Storm Warning: The Journey of Cody Storm  
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**Chapter 1: Wishful Thinking**

The summer sun was shining down on Stone Rise city as it began to descend in the west. Even before the sun shone on the city, the temperature itself wasn't scorching hot, but had a subtle warmness that most enjoyed and even took for granted in the summer months. July was passing to August like it normally did and even in the busy city, a serene mood was present. The time was 5:30, and many people working the nine to five had already gotten home, leaving the few stragglers to get back home with little issue of traffic. Many pedestrians were still out, mostly those without employment, or the few who had the day off. The park had many of these citizens who were either out for fresh air, training with their pokemon, or just loitering.

One boy was doing the latter of the three under an old willow tree near the parks edge. He had been sitting there since noon and those who passed would get an idea of how long he had sat there, due to the empty food wrappings near the trunk of the tree. Those who passed would also notice his smile on his face as he played his guitar. He was an adequate guitar player for lacking sheet music. He played songs from memory of things he heard on the radio, usually rock, and a bit of country here and there. Some of those who passed by would toss a bit of money his way, which he accepted, despite the fact it wasn't his reason for playing. It was for sheer enjoyment only, and even if he wanted money, street musicians were banned from the park if they were playing for profit. Something about "keeping the peace."

His fingers continued to dance on the strings, producing a slow melody of a new song that he heard on the radio that morning. A few mistakes popped through the sequence, since the song was new to him, but it was still recognizable. Suddenly, he remembered what he was waiting for. He pulled out his cell phone to check the time. 5:32.

"Crap, I'm gonna be late," he muttered under his breath. He rushed to put his guitar back in its case, picking up trash, and slipping on his rollerblades. Hopping to his feet, he began to skate at his highest speed out of the park.

He began to think about how hilarious it must have looked. Rollerblading with a huge guitar case fastened to his back must have looked awkward. It wasn't any easier for his skating that Stone Rise city was built on multiple hills. The roads could get so steep that some cars would not be able to drive up them completely without stalling. He himself would normally have to stop when going up some hills, but his adrenaline was kicking in, so powering over the hills was easy. Traffic on the roads wasn't so bad today. Cyclists would sometimes be riding these roads, but even they were absent today. Just him, a few cars, and the occasional street trolley.

"STORM! WATCHA DOING MAN! JUMP ON!"

His concentration refocused on a street trolley heading down the hill on the street he just passed. Another teenager with short cut brown hair was standing in the back portion of the car with two others with him. He knew who they were, but he couldn't see their faces as the trolley disappeared behind a building. He quickly braked on his blades, and began to follow. As he turned the corner, a small Tailow swooped in beside him. He knew this Tailow. It always liked to race fast moving pokemon and people. It flew by his side as he chased the trolley down the hill, his guitar bouncing against his back. It beat him to the trolley, perching on his trainer, who stood behind the brown haired boy and a girl with long red wavy hair. He developed a plan to jump on the trolley. This was illegal, but he didn't really care. Nobody would. But just as he extended his hand to grab onto the railing, the trolley stopped. His momentum sent him flying over the rail, landing on the boy with brown hair, sending them both into the ground. But nobody besides the back portion of the car noticed.

"Dear God, Cody, are you okay!" cried Angie, her voice filled with anxiety and excitement.

"Yes Mom, I'm fine," he said, slowly getting to his feet, holding on to the rail for support. "Looks like Tailow beat me again Paul." Paul was leaning against the railing with Tailow still sitting on his shoulders. He smiled, but he offered no words for the moment. Like always.

"That was incredibly stupid, Cody! I told Laurence not to call you, because I knew you were going to do something stu-"

"Hey! You guys forgot me already? Damn, I'm the one who's hurt here! I broke Storm's fall and everything," Laurence said, as Angie and Cody helped him back to his feet. He didn't look hurt, and even if he was, he wouldn't have cared. He had a battle to win. The Sentret who clung to Angie's back was still chattering excitedly from witnessing the crash. Cody extended his hand to pet the little pokemon. It squeaked happily.

"I'm gonna beat him today. Best out of three, and his last win was a fluke," Laurence continued as he shook his arm around to rid himself of stiffness. "You guys won't have to worry about him interrupting your training ever again. Seriously, it's a community training plot. Why should we have to listen to him?"

"What do you mean 'your' training?" Cody said. "My parents won't even let me have a pokemon let alone train one ever since… well, you know. It sucks too. And what do you mean by fluke? You told Flex to try and dig to avoid the rocks. Seriously, does the word magnitude mean anything to-"

"Okay Professor Oak, so it wasn't my smartest idea," Laurence interrupted defensively. "But at least I have the smarts to actually raise a pokemon. I mean, your dad may be a trainer, but you've never actually held a pokeball, unlike the rest of us."

"Well maybe I would if I were allow-"

"Okay guys, stop fighting. We're almost there," said Angie. She knew the two of them weren't going to fight, but she didn't want either of them to start getting pissed at the other. Especially Cody. Though there was no current danger of that, because he was still smiling.

The group of four left the trolley and began to walk a few blocks to reach the community battle plots. As they walked, Cody and Laurence continued to argue about what Flex should do in battle, while Angie said little on the matter, trying to keep her eye on Sentret as she scurried at their feet. Paul walked along silently, his Tailow making large circles in the sky above their heads. They eventually reached the community battle plots to find multiple younger trainers practicing with friends. Many of them were under age 13. Some of them stopped to look as the older kids walked in. But Cody was the only one to notice this, since Laurence stared down his opponent. A teen of about 16 years with red shoulder length hair stared back.

"You're late Laurence. It's 5:47. I guess you couldn't handle the idea another beating."

"Really Gordon? I'm not afraid of you. I beat you before, and I can beat you again. This is going to decide who is going to…"

The two continued to smack talk each other, while the kids looked up at them admiringly. Meanwhile, Angie turned to Cody and whispered, "I don't get what they're feuding about. It's not like Gordon can kick us out of a public place. All he'd be winning is bragging rights. Not to mention that Laurence is leaving in a week."

"Laurence only wants respect," said Cody thoughtfully. "And beating Gordon is a way of getting that from other trainers of and below his skill level. He just likes to battle, and Gordon brings the fight, so it benefits both of them," Cody whispered back to her as he held up a piece of his granola bar and handed it to Angie's Sentret, who hungrily scarfed it down.

Eventually, Laurence and Gordon made their way to the biggest battle plot. The local children stopped battling, and clustered around the rectangle to watch the final fight. Cody, Angie and Paul sat on a bench, though it was crowded with kids. The trainers on the plot held up their pokeballs, and they glistened in the sunlight. Cody felt envy prodding in his mind.

"Okay Flex, just as we practiced!" Laurence shouted as he tossed his pokeball onto the field. It burst open to reveal a sturdy looking Machop. This was Laurence's only pokemon at the moment, and he had spent over half a year training it. Even as a Machop, it looked pretty ripped. Cody began to wonder how ripped it would get upon evolution if it was this ripped already.

"Okay Graveler, show your stuff!" Gordon yelled as his pokeball opened to reveal the rocky monster within. His Graveler was a beautiful grey colored hulk, and it looked monstrous. Even though Machop had an elemental advantage, this was obviously not going to be a cakewalk for either party.

"Okay Flex, let's power him out early! Chop him!"

Flex broke into a sprint in which he jumped before he was within five feet of the Graveler. While in the air, he aimed a punch to hit directly in the rock's hulking frame. However, Graveler had enough time to see this move coming, and he rolled to the side to avoid this punch. The Machop's fist slammed against the ground, creating a resounding thud.

"Keep rolling! Knock him over!" Gordon shouted to his partner. The Graveler began to roll, hitting Flex right away, since Flex was still stuck in his motion of the punch that he had thrown. Graveler made a wide turn, and charged the stunned Flex again. Without Laurence's words, Flex tried to hit a low kick on the rolling rock. Even though it hit, this only caused Graveler to bounce off the ground for a second before his rolling continued.

"Good try Flex, but that isn't going to work!" Laurence called to his Machop. "You're going to have to power him out!" Machop seemed to get what Laurence said as he stomped both feet into the soft battle earth. He looked sort of like a little sumo wrestler as he faced down the rolling Graveler. THUD! The Machop was bent over backwards as he caught the Graveler in roll. His hands had perfectly clamped onto Graveler's as he began to push back. Despite his size, Flex was obviously the stronger of the two pokemon, but Graveler had another advantage. His two other arms on his back extended, and he began to punch at Machop, who took heavy blows to the face.

"Throw him!" Laurence commanded, and Flex did just that. He thrusted his arms upward, and as the boulder of a pokemon flew skyward, the little fighting pokemon jumped roughly five feet into the air, and gave a straight arm punch to the Graveler's chest. Little fragments of rock were chipped away, but Graveler managed to land on his feet.

"Okay, enough games! Rock throw!" Gordon cried out. "Graveller stomped his right foot with much force, and about a dozen of large rocks emerged from the ground. Flex looked on. His face was bruised and his nose was bleeding from the punches he took to the face, but he looked eager for more.

"How does he do that?" Angie asked Cody as the battle progressed. Graveler was now using all four arms to throw rocks while Machop dodged.

"Do what?" Cody questioned. He was more interested in watching the battle than answering questions.

"How does Gordon's Graveler force underground rocks up to the field for battle?" she asked, with more curiosity than before. Cody put his hand to his temple in an attempt to compile an answer. After a half minute of thinking, he had an answer… sort of.

"Well, Graveler is a rock and ground element pokemon," he explained, still trying to gather ideas in his head. "It has a strong tie to the earth, and when it forces impact on the earth, it can channel energy below the ground to use opposite forces to shoot rocks out of the… look, I'm probably not the best person to answer this, because I'm real shaky on the details. You could probably ask Gordon afterwards if you wanted to know."

"I don't want to ask Gordon," she said with a tone of disgust. "He's a jerk. I hate talking to him. He always calls me baby and names like that in a casual way all the time, and he barely even knows me."

Cody laughed at this. "Oh come on baby, I thought you liked that."

"I don't mind when you do it Cody," she said giggling. "It's just… I don't know. He's just arrogant."

"Yeah…" Cody groaned as he looked onward at the battle. It brought him back to a memory of one of his father's matches as a young trainer. One that his father had recorded on a video cassette. His Hitmonlee was fighting a Rhydon in that recording, and he eventually won with a swift kick to the face. Cody remembered both him and his brother telling their father that they wanted to be like him. Derrick took it a step further a second later, and said that he would be even better than Dad was. Dad laughed it off and told them both that they could have pokemon when they got older, and they too could fight in battles.

Cody sighed. Sentret sensed something from this, and he crawled up his back and onto his shoulders. Angie hadn't heard the sigh, but she could tell by his face that something was wrong. The smile was gone.

"You okay?" she questioned in concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he lied. But Angie could read it in his face that he wasn't being truthful.

"You wish it was you out there, don't you?" she whispered sympathetically.

"No," Cody whispered back. "It's just… I really wish my parents… well… mostly my mom would stop being so protective. They told me I could have a pokemon when I turned fourteen, and I'm going to be fifteen in a few months, just because of what Derrick..." he trailed off. Angie then noticed a frown deepen on his lips. "That just really pisses me off," he finished, anger dancing in his eyes. Angie suddenly got nervous.

"Calm down," she whispered back to him. His look was still of anger, but he began to inwardly suppress it. He tried to force a smile back on his face, but it looked rather weak.

"Graveler! Bury him!" Gordon shouted at his pokemon in almost a scream. The hulk tossed two rocks at Flex, who dodged them both. They had been playing the game of hit and miss for several minutes now. Both of them were losing energy quickly. But as Graveler threw a third rock, Flex caught it in mid-air and tossed it back, smacking Graveler in the face. It didn't look like it hurt him much, but the pokemon was stunned.

"Time to capitalize Flex," Laurence called to his pokemon. "Karate Chop!" Machop jumped several feet above the ground, and forced the side of his hand into the Graveler's cranium. The pokemon yelped in pain, and tried to roll back. But Flex was one step ahead. He grabbed the Graveler's backside and lifted the boulder over his head.

"You know what to do Flex!" he yelled, trying to drown out Gordon's frantic commands. "Vital Throw!" and the little pokemon jumped in the air, still holding the Graveler, and flipped him forcefully face first into the ground. Graveler struggled to stand for a second, and then went limp. He had fainted.

"YES! WE DID IT!" Laurence shouted with much enthusiasm. He ran on to the field and high fived his pokemon. Flex looked pretty beaten up, but he wore a smile on his face. He could tell that the win was huge. Many of the younger kids cheered and ran onto the field. They crowded around Flex, and hoisted him in the air. He was only three feet tall, so this wasn't that difficult.

"You were prime out there!" Cody said out as he patted his friend on the back.

"I have to say, you really controlled that battle well," said Angie as Sentret chirped happily on her shoulder.

"You kicked his ass!" shouted Paul. Everybody stopped and starred at him. Paul never said much, but when he did, things were surprising.

Eventually, Laurence pried his exhausted pokemon away from the kids, and walked over to Gordon, who was helping Graveler get to his feet.

"I gotta say G, that was a fun match, wasn't it Flex?" Flex grunted in what seemed to be an agreement. Gordon was not amused.

"Whatever. Looks like you control the plots now… and don't ever call me G again," he ended with a dark manner.

"Control the plots? You can keep them G."

"What did I just say- Wait… what?" asked Gordon in confusion.

"I'm leaving tomorrow to take on the league one badge at a time G, so you don't have to look at this winner's face for a few years. Cheer up." Laurence was playing the humor card now as he pat his pokemon on the head. But Gordon was now visibly pissed.

"Wait, a second, is this some kind of a joke Laurence! Why the hell did you battle me for control if you were going to leave! Do you know how embarrassing that is!" He was fuming now. His face was turning to the color of a Charmelon's skin.

"Oh relax G," Laurence said coolly. "I just wanted to prove that we could beat you." Gordon looked ready to pop, but he pressed back from doing so. He silently called Graveler back to his ball, and trudged away. Cody walked up behind Laurence.

"Good thing you're leaving. He looked like he was ready to go Michael Myers on your ass."

Laurence chuckled. "Ah Cody, you know he's harmless. He acts tough, and his Graveler is as hard as nails, but he himself is just a wimp. He'll get over it when he finds a new victim."

"Yeah, I guess," muttered Cody in a less than caring voice. The kids were beginning to leave. Paul walked behind him, Tailow on his shoulder. He waved as he walked off.

"Laurence, I'll be there to see you off tomorrow," Angie called as her Sentret scurried about. She waved to both him and Cody before leaving. Cody was about to head out to, but Laurence noticed this.

"Cody, stick around, I got something to show you," he called over his shoulder as he tended to Flex. Cody walked back to see Laurence spraying potions on the Machop's bruises. The solution was brilliant, whatever it was. As it was applied to the injuries, they slowly, but visibly began to heal. Cody began to wonder why they had not made products like that to heal humans.

"It's hard to believe they even enjoy fighting if they get that injured," Cody commented as he looked at the wounds healing. The sight was somewhat sickening.

"Well, if he didn't want to, I wouldn't make him," Laurence replied as he reached into a small pouch and pulled out a bright blue oran berry. He put the berry into Flex's hand, who happily gobbled it up. "They like to do this stuff. It's their desire. And they know we can help them reach their potential." At this, Flex stood up, and began stretching out his limbs.

"So… You wanted to show me something?" asked Cody, who knew he should be getting back home before his mother called the police.

"Huh? Oh yeah, we're going to the woods. It's in there." He and Machop began to walk towards the west woods as Cody followed, wondering where he was to be lead.

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The forest was only a few blocks away, so the walk on urban terrain was only a few minutes long. The road immediately met the woods, where Laurence found a path to lead them to the destination, where ever it was. Flex boldly lead the way with a proud swagger mixed in his walk. He was still feeling high after winning that fight. Laurence and Cody were a few steps back, walking in silence for several minutes before Laurence finally opened his mouth

"So… you and Angie… you two have been hanging out a lot lately... You plan on going out with her again?"

"Huh? No. Definitely not," Cody said defensively. "I don't want to go down that road again."

"You two seemed to have good chemistry. What happened, I mean, you two always got alo-"

"It was my fault," Cody said interrupting him midsentence. "I… you know… look, why are we here? I don't think you brought me down here to talk about my love life."

"Right you are," Laurence said. "We're gonna talk about you becoming a trainer. Your parents gotta let you leave someday, right?"

"Well… my mom… ever since Derrick, you know… left. She hasn't got over that. And she wants me to go to high school. I wouldn't hate that too much. But when we argue, she tells me that I need that education to get a job and what not."

Laurence didn't respond for about a minute, but he finally responded after thinking Cody's words over. "Well, I can't help you with the Derrick factor. That's family matters there. But about school… look, I was a freshman last year, and I won't deny that it was fun. Made a lot of friends, got to play sports, etcetera, etcetera. But people say that being a trainer can give you your own set of experiences. You get to travel, and meet new people all over the country. And if your mom brings up the job thing, tell her that most trainers take the High School Equivalency test and pass it, allowing them to get a real job after college. About 70% do so."

Cody gave him a look. "70%? You actually memorized that statistic?"

Laurence chuckled. "I had to convince my parents to let me leave too you know. I had to have a good argument. Look, try to reason with them. I know you said your dad wants you to go, so use that to your advantage. Oh great, we're here."

Machop had stopped at a in the brush. Cody came close to look through into the clearing. A large clearing was visible with a stream emptying by a small waterfall into a small pool.

"What are we looking for?" Cody questioned, but Laurence needed not to respond. From the stream, several creatures swam and fell into the pool below. They were splashing in the water, grunting happily.

"Squirtle," Cody said softly under his breath. Laurence put a round object in Cody's hand. It was a pokeball. "Well, why don't you catch one?"

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**REVIEW! Because if you don't, I'll crawl into a corner where I'll proceed to rock back and forth while cutting myself****… or I'll just stare at my inbox with an annoyed face… So please be kind.**


	2. Chapter 2: Cracking the Shell

**No reviews****… And barely any readers. You know, I guess it's hard to stand out here when 90% of the stories are about the anime and 99% of everything has "romance" as a genre. Note, there will be romance, but it isn't what I'm focusing on. Just wait and see… provided anybody actually read chapter one. This chapter is also shorter… I might start trying to write longer stuff. It's just that I normally type this stuff double spaced in a twelve point font, so it always shortens in a 9 point single space. Readers, tell me if you think the chapter length is too short.**

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**Chapter 2: Cracking the Shell**

The Squirtle, about a dozen of them, continued to frolic in the pool, splashing, and grunting with jubilation. But the noise seemed to be muted to Cody as he looked at the pokeball in his hand.

"So… you want me… to go down and try to catch a Squirtle?" he questioned. It was a stupid question, but it seemed out of place to him.

"Yes, it's simple. Just go down there and toss a pokeball. Then you got yourself a pokemon. Try it. It should be simple. Easier then catching a Machop. I had to fight Flex with a seven foot pole so he couldn't snap my neck." Cody could tell he was subtly bragging about how hardcore it was to fight a Machop. He looked down at Flex, who was trying to snatch a butterfly out of the air. The little pokemon had just beaten a boulder several times its size earlier, but he looked harmless now, even with his bulging muscles.

"Yeah, how the hell am I supposed to catch one of them without a pokemon of my own?" Cody asked again. "And don't tell me to fight it myself. There's a whole clan of them down there, and I don't want to fight them all."

Laurence chuckled as he slapped Cody on the back. "I knew you'd be a wimp, but you got nothing to worry about. I bring Flex down here to train often, and we've been playing with them after we're done working. They're only hatchlings, and they love attention. Not to mention they spend all day eating minnows, and now they're pooped. Just go down there and play with them a little, and then toss a pokeball at the one you like best."

It seemed too easy, but Cody knew that Laurence wouldn't lie to him about this. Laurence knew how much Cody loved Squirtle. But there was still a gaping hole in this plan.

"Okay, even if I catch a Squirtle, there is no way my mom will let me keep it, let alone leave home with it. Not after Derrick," Cody pointed out. "Even if I brought it home, it wouldn't suddenly change her mind."

"Cody, we all need a little push out of the nest, and maybe this will change her mind. Just say you can handle it. Apparently Derrick could. He's probably…" He trailed off as soon as Cody gave him a dirty look for bringing up Derrick. But Cody's face cooled up. In his mind, he became determined to catch a Squirtle and finally do what he had been waiting to do for years.

"I'll give it a shot," Cody flatly stated, "but I'm bringing Flex down too, just in case they go berserk or something." Laurence nodded, and he made some motioning towards Flex. As he was doing this, Cody took off his guitar case and laid it next to his rollerblades that he had been carrying over the grass. He didn't want to them wet. Flex walked through the brush, and sat down near the pool on a flat stone. The Squirtle stopped playing for a moment, and they all muttered amongst themselves and to their friend who had returned to the pool. But when Flex did not make any movements, the turtles went back to playing in the water.

Now it was Cody's turn. He inched towards the water, trying not to make any sudden motions. But the Squirtle noticed his presence, and they froze once more. They all stared at this new interloper with huge eyes, murmuring amongst each other. Cody started to observe each turtle. Each one had a slightly different skin, shell, and eye color. He counted them. There were fourteen, and they were all different sizes too. There was much diversity in the species. Cody wondered if they were siblings. Or maybe they just looked after each other. They were reptiles after all. Reptiles weren't maternal creatures. Or was the Squirtle species different?

All of a sudden, the smallest Squirtle stepped forward, and waddled up to where Cody was standing. Cody bent his knees, and looked into the eyes of the tiny turtle. All of the Squirtle were smaller than what an average Squirtle would be (they were all hatchlings after all), but this one was barely even a foot tall. Cody began to feel misplaced looking into the pokemon's eyes. They were exceptionally deep. But he let his guard down.

The Squirtle suddenly sprayed water at his face, causing Cody to fall back. At this sight, all the Squirtle in the pool roared with laughter. The Squirtle that had sprayed Cody fell on his back with grunting laughs. Cody was stunned form the sequence of events, and wiped the warm water out of his eyes. Over the roar of the Squirtle, he could also hear Laurence busting his gut from behind the bushes. He was never gonna live this one down.

Suddenly, a devious grin crossed Cody's face as he looked at the Squirtle who were still getting a kick out of his humiliation. "Your mine!" he shouted as he lunged at the group of Squirtle in the water. Immediately, they all moved out of the way, as he splashed in the water. He felt his shirt sopping with water, sticking to his skin, but he didn't care. He quickly splashed a cluster of turtles who sat on a nearby rock. They responded by leaping into the water next to him, causing little splashes about his waist. Cody tried to snatch one with his hand that wasn't holding the pokeball, but they were all too quick, and the ones he managed to grab slipped out like oil. He began to laugh at their antics, having to stop every few seconds to catch his breath.

For the next ten minutes, Cody continued to play with the turtles, all who seemed to never grow tired of his presence. "It's like their not even wild," he thought to himself through the commotion. But they were. Cody figured that he would have to choose one soon. But which one? They were all friendly and fun. But what about battling? How could he tell which Squirtle would be the best? The answer hit him in the face like a water gun. As he wiped the water out of his eyes, he looked across at the rock at the culprit. The little Squirtle who started the game had sprayed him again. Then Cody knew for sure this time. "You," he thought. "You're the one." He clicked the little button on the pokeball and threw is straight at the little buggers head. As is bounced off the pokemon's head, a look of shock crossed its face. The ball opened, and shot out light, enveloping the turtle, and pulling it inside. The ball began to wiggle as it sat on the rock, until it stood idle. For several seconds, all the Squirtle stopped playing, obviously shocked by the light, and wondering what it was. But they soon forgot, and continued to roughhouse. Cody waded his way through the water, grasping the pokeball of the rock as he walked by. As he and Flex made their way back to the trees, Cody turned his head to see the Squirtle grunting at him, looking rather pleased. Funny, it was like they were saying goodbye to him, unknowing that one of their friends was leaving with him.

As Cody walked back into the clearing, Laurence was giving him a slow clap. "You did good kid," he said with hints of approval in his voice. "Though it was hilarious how the little one spayed you in the face like that."

"Har, har, har, your so cute," Cody shot back with a sarcastic, but he was obviously in a good mood. "The little monster who sprayed is actually the one I caught," he said with pride. He was trying to wring out his shirt, while Flex studied the pokeball that Squirtle was caught in. He picked it up and placed it at Cody's feet.

"Let's open it soon," Laurence stated as Cody put on his damp shirt. "Pokemon get nervous when they are first put inside those things. I guess I'd freak out too if I was converted to molecular light particle things."

"I can't imagine that's comfortable," Cody said as he picked up the ball and rolled it around in his hand.

"It's actually supposed to be nice in there. They say that pokemon in balls are supposed to give pokemon comfort and what not. I don't understand it that much. However, you should still let the little guy out often."

Cody wanted to see his catch right then, and he was about to press the button, when he figured it would be sweet to see how pokeballs knew to bounce back. He wondered how that even worked. Another mystery. He tossed the ball onto the earth, and it exploded with a burst of reddish light. The ball then bounced back to his hand like a rubber band. But he forgot about it once he saw the little Squirtle, crouching over and holding its head.

"Hey little guy, how's it going?" Cody asked in a sugary voice. The tone almost made him feel sick and he cold hear Laurence snickering. Cody knelt down to the little pokemon and tried to touch it, but upon seeing his face, the turtle yelped and pulled itself into its shell at a surprisingly quick speed.

"Congratulations Cody, you just taught him how to use withdraw," chuckled Laurence. Flex stepped forward and picked up the shell with ease and tried to look inside, only to get sprayed by some bubbles. He gasped and grabbed his eyes with his hands, rubbing furiously. Laurence ignored his pokemon's anguish as he tossed a tiny rock shaped object towards Cody.

"Bribe it with that," he said.

Cody picked up the little object and noted that it was a pokemon kibble of some sort. He slowly held it out in front of the shell that was positioned in front of him. Suddenly, a little blue hand shot out and grabbed it, pulling it back inside. The sound of chewing began. Laurence tossed Cody another piece, who held it in front of the shell again. This time however, the Squirtle emerged from its fortress and tenderly took the goodie out of Cody's hand, and began to munch.

"Well, that seemed to work," Laurence said, now coming closer to get a good look at the little Squirtle. Flex would not come over though. He still looked upset from being sprayed. "Do this whenever you get a new pokemon that is scared of you. Most of them seem to think with their stomachs."

"Yeah, he really seems to… wait, is it a he? How can we tell? It doesn't look that obvious."

Laurence pulled a book out of his pocket. It looked pretty worn, and some of the binding was breaking. He flipped through the pages, and after this stopped, he began to finger a page, reading under his breath. "Well, it says here that males have a small slit on the lower bottom side of their shell. Females don't."

Cody began to study the lower part of Squirtle's shell, as it began to chew a third piece of kibble. "Yep, there it is. Wow… he really is a squirt… think he'll grow up okay?"

"Him? Sure, he'll be fine. Just feed him and train him, and he'll get bigger than all those other Squirtle he was with."

"Yeah, about that," Cody said with concern. "You think they'll be okay without him?"

"You worry too much," Laurence answered. "They'll forget about him and move on. They'll probably split when they get older anyways. They're just hanging out together because they're young."

"Yeah…" replied Cody, not paying much attention as he reached out and touched the pokemon's skin. This time, Squirtle did not recoil, but moved closer to his trainer. A small smile crossed the pokemon's face. It seemed strange that a pokemon had similar facial expression for a similar feeling. His skin was made up of small scales, but they were so finely placed, that it seemed as soft as a human's skin, although it was much firmer. As Cody studied the tiny pokemon's face, he felt a strong connection with his new friend. It was a warm feeling that rested in his chest. Maybe this was what people felt for their first pokemon. All of his friends said they had a good connection with their first pokemon and if this was it, he loved the feeling. He wanted the moment to last.

"Hey Cody, I gotta get going. I wanna leave early tomorrow, so I could use some sleep." Laurence stood up, and hoisted Flex up on his shoulders. "You gonna see me off tomorrow?"

"Sure thing," Cody answered. "I'll try to get there in time. You said you were heading out at 8?"

"Yeah. You know, you should leave soon too. You don't want to wait to long."

"What do you mean by that? You had Flex for six months. You could have left awhile ago," Cody pointed out.

"Yeah, but I was still in school, and I wanted to finish up the year. You still have the summer to leave. Plus, in your case, if you do want to leave, your mom may say no if you wait too long."

"Wow Laurence, your right," Cody replied, mulling over the idea in his head. "I better leave soon too. Too bad I couldn't go with you."

"Nah, I wanna go alone, maybe meet some new people," he replied. You'd be best to do the same."

"Yeah, I should," Cody answered, picking up his new partner. The Squirtle wiggled until it got comfortable in his arm. He used the other to strap on his guitar case, and to carry his blades. He continued to talk with Laurence as they walked to the forest edge. It began to occur to him that besides tomorrow, this may be the last time he would see Laurence for a good long time. It seemed weird. Even though Laurence was always a grade ahead of him, they hung out almost every day since they were kids. It would be weird to be separated from him and his other friends. But he figured that this is what happens in life. You suck it in and move on.

"Well, be seeing you soon dude," Cody said as he held out his fist.

Laurence bumped it and replied with a nod and a smile. He was pulling a Paul, but it actually suited the cool side of his nature. As Cody skated off that evening, with a baby Squirtle in his arms, he decided that he was ready for a new experience. And like his father, and like… Derrick… he was ready to dive straight in.

* * *

"Here it comes, just act cool," Cody said to himself as he sat on the garage steps, taking off his blades. Squirtle looked like a young child in a new environment, looking at everything in sight, and touching everything in reach, grunting curiously as he did. "And you… keep looking cute. Mom loves cute," Cody said, though Squirtle ignored him. Once he was ready, he picked up the little turtle, and walked inside. The house was warm from the summer heat, and fans spun from the ceiling, though they didn't affect the temperature. The Hitmonlee that belonged to Cody's father was sitting at the counter drinking lemonade through a straw. He turned his head as Cody walked in, and stared at the little pokemon in his arms. Cody's attention turned from the fighting pokemon to the noise coming down the stairs.

"Oh Cody, you're home. Thank God, I was getting worried. You know how I get worried when you don't show up after dark," his mom said as she walked into the kitchen. She was in her mid forties, and her dirty blonde hair was already beginning to change like the autumn leaves. She didn't look directly at him as she walked in, so she didn't see the visitor Cody was holding.

"Oh come on mom, it's not even dark yet," he responded, while picking up an apple out of the fruit bowl, and taking a chunk out of it. Squirtle tried to reach for it, so he picked up a smaller apple and handed to the turtle, who began to crunch it into pieces. Cody didn't know if Squirtle were okay eating apples, but he figured that fruit can't be bad for them.

"Well, I'm just happy you're alright. You know how dangerous it can be out there with…" she stopped in the middle of her sentence, since she was now looking at the Squirtle who busied itself chewing on the apple. A look of shock crossed her face as her mouth hung agape. "Cody… what is that?"

"Mom, you know it's a Squirtle," Cody stated quietly. "Stay cool," he thought to himself. "Need her approval on this."

However, his mother was still not approving, judging by her facial expression. "Where did you get it? More importantly, how! Wild pokemon are dangerous you know! Wasn't it Laurence who almost got mauled by a Makuhita?"

"Machop," Cody corrected. "And he wasn't hurt. He tired it out with a stick or something. Besides, this Squirtle is harmless. He's only a baby. But I want to train him like I've been-"

"Oh, I can't handle this, RANDY! Get down here! Your son has something to show you!" she yelled. But nobody responded. "Stay right there young man!" she snapped back at Cody, and then she stormed out.

"You should have acted cuter," Cody said to his new friend, and he placed him on the counter, as he leaned back and thought of how he would convince his mother to let him leave. No easy options came to his mind. He knew his dad would want him to go, but he didn't want to pit them against each other. However, that might be the best option.

During this time, Hitmonlee had been sipping at his drink, not really paying attention to the yelling. Squirtle waddled up on the counter top to where the bigger monster was. Hitmonlee stopped drinking, and moved its head closer to the new arrival, staring curiously at it with his huge eyes. Squirtle backed up slowly with fright and tripped over a wooden spoon, falling on his back.

"Hmph," grunted the Hitmonlee, as he stood up and walked away. It wasn't very interested in Squirtle after all.

Suddenly, Cody's mother burst into the room, dragging his father. He actually looked kind of excited in a good way, unlike his mother, who would probably sprout a few more gray hairs overnight.

"Look Randy. Cody went out and captured a wild pokemon! He could have got killed!" she yelled out as Randy approached the tiny Squirtle sitting on the counter.

"Mom, you're overreacting, I never said I almost got killed. They were all hatchlings," protested Cody, though his words went unnoticed.

"Oh, he's such a puny little guy," his father said, chuckling some. He picked up the little Squirtle who immediately popped in his shell out of fear. "Really Tiff? This is the monster who tried to kill our son?"

Cody's mother's face began to turn pink. Partly from embarrassment, and partly from anger. "Well, maybe he was safe, but I'm not letting another child leave with pokemon!"

"Why not Tiff? He's responsible. He makes decent grades. He could probably pass the aptitude test right now if he took a class. Let's give him a chance."

"No, I can't Randy," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "I can't forget Derrick. I don't want to lose another child." She tried her best to hold back tears, but a few broke through. Cody wasn't phased though. Or at least he was trying not to be. But he felt a little bit of rage grow inside of him.

"Come on Mom, you talk about him as if he's dead or something," said Cody, trying not to fall into the tear trap she was setting.

"He might as well be!" she responded, tears now. "I can't let you go. I don't want this family to fall apart anymore than it already has!" But Cody was developing a mental block to her emotions. The anger continued to grow.

"Mom, I can take care of myself out there. Many trainers are younger than me and they can do it! And if it's about education, 70% of trainers pass the high school aptitude test and get into normal colleges and what not."

"It sounds like you stole that statistic from Wikipedia," she sobbed rubbing her eyes to make them less wet. "But I'm not as worried about that as much. It's just… I can't bare the thought of you going down the same road as Derrick!"

"Derrick, Derrick, Derrick, forget about DERICK!" he shouted with genuine anger now. "This is about me! Not Derrick!"

"It's like…" she paused for a second. "It's like you don't even care about him and what happened to him. I know you've been shadowed by the events that happened, but you need to understand that I'm not going to lose you too!" But understanding each other was gone now in Cody's mind. And then the rage burst.

"Look Mom, I'm sorry about Derrick! Do you think I don't miss him! I do! But I'm not Derrick! You promised me I could get a pokemon when I turned fourteen, and now I'm almost fifteen! I don't care how Derrick screwed up, because I want to have my own damn story rather than reading the same one over and over again!"

The room grew quiet. Cody's voice had grown louder with each word, and now he stood there breathing heavily. Squirtle had pulled himself into his shell, and he rocked in it with fear. Mom was now crying silently, tears streaming down her face. Dad looked concerned, but not frightened or sad as he comforted his wife.

"Son, you took your pill, correct?" he asked softly.

"Yes, I'm just… I've waited so long. It just got the best of me. It's not like I threw anything this time. I can control it. I always have."

The room was silent again. Finally, Cody's mom spoke, her words congested with tears. "You can go… just… be careful… and don't train too hard… and come home if you don't like it, and we'll enroll you in high school and everything and pretend it never happened."

"Mom, tha-"

"I want you to leave tomorrow," she interrupted. "Only because I'm afraid I'll say no if you wait longer. Just promise me you'll spend at least one month of the year at home. I don't want you to leave us."

"I understand," Cody replied, breaking the quiet air with his words. With that, his mother slowly retreated to her room upstairs. Cody and his father stood in the room alone with Squirtle, and Linoone, who had just entered the room too see what the excitement was about. But when she saw nothing, she returned to the grass outside.

"I'll print up a paper online and sign it for you, so you can go to the trainer's bureau tomorrow to get your license," Dad said softly. "I have supplies for you too. Potions, pokeballs, pokechow, travel sleeping bag, and so on. I got it or you last year, thinking you'd be leaving, but when your mom said no, I stashed it. If you want more stuff, use PC storage."

"Thanks Dad," Cody replied. "You think she'll be okay?"

"Your mother? Yeah, she'll be fine. It's just… she still hasn't gotten over Derrick. But as long as you are happy, I guess she will be too."

Those words danced in Cody's mind as he walked to his room, carrying the Squirtle who yawned with eagerness to sleep. He wondered if Derrick was happy. Maybe he was. He wouldn't know though. They hadn't talked in years.

He brushed his teeth, and slipped on an old shirt and boxers. Tomorrow, he would leave to become a trainer. He could barely imagine what fate would have in store for him. They say it takes roughly three years to travel through Skitrex on the gym challenge. Three years seemed like a long time. But he was ready to take the challenge... that is, if he chose to take it. It wasn't necessarily about winning battles and becoming a champion for him. It was about the journey. Not the destination.

"Goodnight little buddy," he whispered to Squirtle, whose shell he embraced in his arms. With a quick yawn, he drifted off to sleep, envisioning the world he would see in his last conscience moments.

* * *

**Yeah, there are hidden messages in this. It was originally gonna be part of chapter one, but I thought it would be too long, so I made it its own chapter. So please review and stuff. I would really appreciate it so I'm not just talking to myself****…**


	3. Chapter 3: Basic Training

**So I learned something. There are a bajillion other stories on this website named "Storm Warning" and I was all WTF! Anyway, I might change the name to something less used****… I finally got a review and a good one at that. The reviewer mentioned something about pokespe or something and I couldn't locate a specific story to that title. Personally, I find it hard to find anything to read here. I'm very picky about Pokemon stories. I really can't focus on anything based off the anime or straight off the game. But that's just me. Each to his own I guess. The only thing I'm reading now is Afro's "Pokemon 0." It's amazing.**

**Anyway, be cool and review. The story is going to be laid back for awhile, but it will get more intense.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Basic Training**

Cody looked into the bathroom mirror as his eye's adjusted to the darkness. It was only 5:50 in the morning, but he was getting up early to leave before his mother could have another mental breakdown. The bathroom was dark because only one light bulb was working. The others had died. He had just gotten out of the shower, but he left the water running so Squirtle could play while he got ready. He looked at himself in the mirror as he began to put on his clothes. His hair, which had dried now, looked messy, but that was okay. Even in the darkness, it seemed to glow yellow. But that was probably just his imagination. He looked at his body. He wasn't in bad shape, but he wasn't really fit either. He had some muscle from blading all the time, but he still looked pretty lean. He just hoped he'd be able to carry the mountain of travel supplies his father had packed for him.

Eventually, he got dressed, and brought Squirtle down stairs to the kitchen where he got a drink of orange juice, and an apple for his pokemon. As he was drinking, he stared at the travel supplies he would be bringing. It was a hiking backpack with a sleeping bag on top. Inside were extra clothes, toiletries, bug spray, sunscreen, numerous pokemon supplies, dried food for himself, a map of Skitrex, and many other items he couldn't recall. The bag looked overstuffed, but he figured he'd get used to carrying it. He just wished he could bring his guitar.

His father had also given him a "belt," the kind that trainers strap pokeballs to. Cody had already put Squirtle's ball there for safe keeping, and put on a few more just in case he had the opportunity to use them. He also had a PokeTech which was a year outdated, but still useful enough to be of service.

As he put his empty glass in the sink, Cody heard a grunting snore from the living room. He walked in to see his father sleeping on the couch.

"Dad, wake up!" he whispered to the sleeping man, who slowly rose like a zombie to the sound of his son's voice.

"Cody, what time is it?" he blurted groggily. "It's still dark out."

"Yeah, I know. I'm leaving now, because I don't want to see Mom crying again," he whispered in reply. "Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

"Your mother was rather upset," he answered, now with more consciousness in his voice and eyes. "I figured I'd better sleep downstairs."

Cody nodded, and began to make his way back to the kitchen to gather his things, and Squirtle, who was still eating the apple. But his father called him back. "Cody, promise me you'll be careful. Your mother isn't the only one who worries. I had hard times as a trainer, and I know it can be rough out there. Just make sure you make good choices."

"Sure Dad, I won't do anything stupid," Cody said with a grin. However, he was aware that he would probably break that promise somewhere down the line.

* * *

"So you take pills for this medical condition?" the ranger asked Cody.

"Yes, and I've been able to control it well enough for the past few years," he replied. The ranger had been asking him questions for several minutes now after looking over his medical records and grades. They were sitting in a blank room in the license bureau in the upper city. Squirtle was in his pokeball, since Cody didn't want to be distracted by his new friend while he was being interviewed.

"Well, everything seems in order," the ranger said smiling. "Your pokemon looks healthy, you have no criminal record, and you yourself seem perfectly fit to travel, so long as you continue your medications. I am a little shocked though. You're one of the few kids in awhile that I've seen registering to be a trainer with higher grades. I'm surprised you're not going to high school."

"What do you mean?" asked Cody in confusion.

The ranger shook his head. "About half of the kids that come in here have a GPA of less than 2.8. They come in to get away from education, or in other cases, poverty. Most of these kids learn enough on their own out in the real world that they can pass the aptitude test at age 18, but… there's still government argument on whether or not the test is actually a fair show of one's intellect. But at the same time, the government believes a country with many trainers can also be safer, as long as they keep monitors on organized crime." He spoke as if he was reading off of a script, and he didn't look very pleased about it. "Then again, it has helped a lot of people, so…"

Cody was all of a sudden interested in this statistic, but he could tell the ranger was not interested in talking about it anymore, so he let it slip from his mind. The ranger went back to asking questions, but he only had a few left to ask. He then asked, "Do you want to have a pokedex? The cost is five hundred dollars."

Cody blinked. "Five hundred? Are you serious? I thought they were free."

"They were last year," the ranger said solemnly. "But the company that makes them has lost a lot of government funding, so they had to put a price tag on them. However, we do have an alternative." He went to a box in the corner, and pulled out a paper back book with strong looking binding. It looked like the book that Laurence often used. "The Pokemon Field Guide. We've been selling these like mad. You can't put as much personal data in it as you can a normal pokedex, but it covers a lot of pokemon info. Also, there is a written note section in the back. If you fill it with information on pokemon that you have observed, whether it be battle theories, or wild pokemon observation, the government will send you a check worth as much as they view your information. It costs ten dollars for the book, and five dollars to join the program if you're interested."

* * *

The clouds were plentiful in the sky that day, and Cody felt a stroke of luck from this, since there were no trees in the fields to block the sun. Stone Rise was on the eastern coast of Skitrex, and it was known for heavy rainfall from Lake Marble and the ocean beyond that. But these clouds didn't look like they were going to rain. They just sat there, looking puffy and white.

The fields he walked in were between the crop farms and Tauros ranges. These Tauros weren't lean and tough like their wild cousins, but plump, since they were all destined to be steaks. Miltank lived with them, producing much of the milk the city used until they too were sentenced to death. The fields continued until they reached the dense forest. This forest would lead into the mountain range, where Cody would have to travel through the woods below. He knew he could have easily taken a bus on the highway to get to whatever to get to Kindle City, but there wouldn't be any trainers to battle, or pokemon to catch. Where was the fun in that?

Squirtle was in his pokeball, but Cody kept it close just in case a pokemon would attack. But that didn't seem to be a big issue. Many of the pokemon in the woods didn't even pay attention to him. Those who did would often give a quick glance, and then go back to what they were doing. They had no interest in attacking a lone child with one pokemon. Cody had considered trying to catch a pokemon, but many that he saw were in groups, and he didn't want to send Squirtle up against a pack of pokemon if he could help it.

As the time reached 1 P.M, Cody sat down near a brook, and had a bag of dry nuts that his father had packed. It wasn't much, but he was more thirsty than hungry, so he rationed his water, knowing that he'd have to take time to make a fire if he wanted more. Squirtle was busy catching minnows in the creek, so Cody knew he didn't have to feed him or water him today, which was a sigh of relief in his mind.

But as Squirtle climbed out of the water, his eyes widened, and he jumped up on the log Cody sat on, and looked out into the clearing. He had spotted a Rattata in the field, chewing on a large nut of some sort.

Cody noticed this too, and he quietly looked around. No other Rattata were visible. This one was all alone.

"I should catch it," Cody thought to himself. "It would be a good experience for me and Squirtle. Besides, I need another pokemon as backup." He then turned his head to Squirtle and said "Go get it."

Squirtle ran on to the grass, grunting at the mouse. The Rattata turned towards Squirtle, and growled at him with fierce looking eyes, its sharp teeth exposed.

Cody became excited. His first battle was starting. He quickly pulled out the book and flipped to the Squirtle page, which he had book marked. He scanned down the list until he reached battle tactics.

_Young Squirtle tend to tackle their opponents to weaken them, and will spray bubbles at those who are faster than them in order to hinder their movements. If a foe is too defensive, Squirtle may taunt said foe by wagging its tail. Certain enemies will then be baited into attack, leaving their defensive position. Some train this tail whipping technique into a damaging attack. Many Squirtle will retreat to their shells if the battle gets too rough. Squirtle will not be able to spray water until their spout tube has fully developed. How long this takes will depend on the individual__…_

It only took a few seconds to read the passage, but doing so made Cody get nervous. He didn't want to take his eyes off of his pokemon, just in case Rattata acted before he could call out a move. But he had a game plan now.

"Okay Squirtle! Tackle him now!" Cody shouted. But Squirtle just looked at him. Then it hit him. Squirtle had no idea what he was saying.

The rat tackled Squirtle, biting his arm. Cody could see a small puncture wound appear under the fangs, but Squirtle managed to pull in his arm before anything worse happened. After pulling in his other limbs, the Rattata tried to bite into the shell, but to no avail. Then it saw Cody standing on the log. The rat left the hiding turtle behind, and with a quick jump, he tackled Cody. Cody was amazed that such a small pokemon had that much force in its attack. He fell on his back with a thump. The rat was about to bury its fangs in his chest, when a flash of blue knocked it off Cody's stomach. Squirtle had tackled the rat, causing it to slam into a tree.

"Good job. That was a tackle! Cody yelled out to his partner. Squirtle acknowledged this with a sound of pride, and on Cody's command, he tackled the rat again. After this, the little Rattata yelped in pain and rushed off into the thicket. Squirtle cheered with a victorious noise, and ran back to his trainer. A large smile was planted on both of their faces.

"Good job little guy," Cody said as he knelt down and patted Squirtle on the head. He was glad that his little pokemon had won, but also upset that he couldn't capture the Rattata, and that he would have to train Squirtle to respond to oral commands. He had always thought pokemon just knew what to do. He looked at Squirtle's arm, and noticed that the puncture wound had already closed itself, and only a bruise was left. It didn't look to bad. He figured that Pokemon must heal faster than humans or something.

"You were great out there," Cody continued to say, as if his pokemon could understand him, though he knew it was praise. "But you should have used Water Gun or something. You sprayed me yesterday, so I know you can do it today. Use Water Gun."

Squirtle simply looked at him with no understanding of what to do. "Like this," Cody said, and he spit into the ground. He felt ridiculous doing this, but he knew he had to break through somehow or another. "That's what a Water Gun is like. You try." Squirtle released water this time, but only a small ball of it. He was imitating Cody's spitting, but not an actual move.

Cody sighed and took a gulp of his canteen water and spit out a small stream from his lips, and the turned to Squirtle and said, "Like that. Now you use it. Water Gun!" Squirtle then looked at his master, and suddenly, Cody felt a cold spray of water hit his face. Squirtle had done it again.

"Very funny Squirtle, but I'm glad you got the point," Cody said laughing as he wiped the water off of his face. "If Laurence were here, he would have…" His voice trailed off. Then he remembered. "Oh shit, I was supposed to see him off today! SHIT!" He also remembered Paul and Angie. They didn't know he was leaving either. He quickly whipped out his cell phone, but it got no bars out in the woods. "Oh well, it can't be helped. Come on Squirtle, let's go." And the two walked off through the wooded trail.

* * *

It was now 6 PM. Over the past five hours or so, Cody and Squirtle had been walking, and fighting every wild pokemon that didn't look too strong. Some pokemon ran away right away, but others would fight it out, until they retreated in exhaustion. The only pokemon Cody almost caught was a Spearow, but it broke the ball and flew off. The shattered ball lay on the ground and sparked some after it burst open. But Cody picked it up and moved on. "Don't worry buddy, we'll find you a friend soon," he said confidently. Cody was in a great mood now. He didn't contemplate much on the future, but moreover how to spend the present. He just wanted to enjoy his time away from home with his pokemon.

As he continued to walk, he heard shouts somewhere down the trail. They weren't shouts of pain, but Cody ran frantically to see what they were about anyway. He arrived at another clearing where he saw a young boy and his pokemon battling a Wurmple. The boy looked like he was nine or ten, and he wore a large sun hat and carried a huge butterfly net. His pokemon was a little green worm with red antenna. The Caterpie looked cute, but its eyes had an aggressive gaze in them.

"Caterpie, tackle it!" the boy shouted as he held his net in a position to catch something. The green worm charged the red one, and knocked it over. The net boy then ran forward and tried to catch the Wurmple in his net, but the bug avoided it, and wiggled its way into the forest. The net boy looked upset, but he went up and patted his Caterpie, whose eyes were now calm looking. "We'll catch one next time," he said soothingly.

"You know, you could have just used a pokeball or something," Cody said as he entered the space. The net boy jumped, not expecting a visitor, but he quickly composed himself.

"I don't have anymore right now. But I wanted to catch that one anyway," the boy said, wiping the sweat from his brow. His red hair poked out from under his hat. He looked back at Cody with a toothy smile on his face. "My name is Justin. And this is my good friend Caterpie," he said as his pokemon crawled up to his shoulder. "We're out camping with some of my friends and their pokemon. We're out looking for bugs, and I just caught mine three days ago."

"That sounds cool," Cody said casually. "My name is Cody, and I just got my Squirtle yesterday," he said as Squirtle perked up its head at the sound of his name. "We're headed to Kindle City."

"What's in Kindle City worth seeing?" Justin asked, with a confused look on his face. "There's nothing to do there or anything."

Cody had to think about this. "You know… I don't know. I'm just going there because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe I'll find something to do down there."

"Whatever you say," Justin replied. "But since you're new at this too, how about a battle? It's boring only battling my friends. I want to battle some pokemon that aren't bugs."

Without thinking, Cody nodded. He wanted Squirtle to get better, and this seemed like the best way possible. The two of them agreed on betting $10 on the match. It wasn't very high as far as steaks go, but it seemed reasonable since they were both new. As the two of them walked to alternate sides of the clearing, Cody flipped to Caterpie's page.

_Wild Caterpie tend to avoid battles, since they would much rather eat. If forced into a fight, Caterpie will shoot sticky fluids at their opponents to lower their dexterity, and then they will tackle their weakened foes until they regard them as harmless. Older Caterpie with developed mouth strength will often try to bite their enemies._

The passage bothered Cody. Not because he was worried about worm spit, but because of the phrase "forced into a fight." Was that the situation with Justin's Caterpie? Would it rather not fight? But as he contemplated this, Justin's Caterpie jumped onto the field, and its eyes glowed with readiness. Maybe trained pokemon viewed battles differently? They must. Or the whole thing would be illegal.

"Let's go Squirtle! Tackle it," Cody commanded. But as Squirtle charged the worm, Justin was one step ahead.

"String Shot!" he yelled, and the Caterpie shot gooey looking string at the turtle.

"Try to dodge it," Cody yelled to his friend, and Squirtle jumped over the string, but his foot got caught, allowing Caterpie to land a tackle on Squirtle before he could get up. Squirtle struggled to his feet, only to get hit by more string. Cody yelled out that Squirtle should try to get rid of the string. His book said that if Squirtle could rapidly spin in his shell, it could release him from predicaments like this. But Squirtle was still too young do this without proper training.

"Squirtle, try to wet the string with bubbles!" The little pokemon opened his mouth, and stream of bubbles flew out, some of which hit Caterpie, knocking it back, while others wet the string, weakening it. As Squirtle released himself from the string, he turned his back towards Caterpie and wagged his tail. The caterpillar suddenly left his spot, and tried to tackle the turtle, but Cody told Squirtle to tackle his foe before it reached him. Caterpie was being too reckless now, and Squirtle managed to take advantage.

As the fight continued, one thing Cody began to notice was that battling this trained Caterpie was a lot harder than fighting the wild ones he saw earlier. This pokemon seemed more focused on the fight, rather than the wild ones who cared more about food. It also seemed a lot smarter too, despite its lapse at Squirtle's taunting. Squirtle seemed to be getting smarter too. Earlier that day, it couldn't even understand what he was saying, but now it seemed to be more in touch with Cody's mind. At one point in the battle, Cody told Squirtle to roll out of the way from Caterpie's assault after being attacked once already. He had never taught Squirtle how to simply roll, but it seemed to get the idea perfectly well. They were becoming closer.

At Justin's command, Caterpie tried to shoot string again, but it didn't work. Caterpie had run out of fluid. It looked tired, but it charged the field with the last of its effort.

"Okay Squirtle, spray it down with a Water Gun to finish it off!" But seconds after yelling this, he felt a splash of cool water strike him in the face. As he rubbed his eyes, he saw Squirtle dodge the oncoming Caterpie. "No! Him! Not me!" Squirtle refocused at Cody's call, and shot a spray of water at the worm. This spray looked a lot stronger than the ones he used to hit Cody with, and the Caterpie slammed into a tree from the impact. Its body lay limp on the ground.

"Yes! Way to go Squirtle!" Cody shouted as he hugged the tiny turtle before returning him to his pokeball. He looked over at Justin who called his pokemon back to the ball after helping it back to its feet. "I gotta say kid, that was fun."

"Thanks," he said smiling weakly as he handed over the prize money. "But I thought I had a chance when Caterpie spit string on your Squirtle's back."

"Yeah, I'm still kinda shocked that he got himself loose from that," Cody admitted as he put the money in his wallet. He took the time to look at his phone, only to find that there were still no bars.

"Hey, if you wanna come with me, you can camp with us for the night," Justin said, his voice lightening some. "It can get pretty dangerous out here at night. And you can battle the other guys if you want."

Cody felt some relief from this. He wanted to be out in the world on his own, but camping by himself at night when the Houndour come out didn't seem like a smart idea.

The other guys at the camp were around Justin's age. The oldest one, Izzy, was 13, and he had been a trainer for over a year. He also collected bugs and had a Venonat, a Wormadam, and a Yanma. After dinner, Cody battled with all of the younger trainers, managing to pull out wins against all of them. His luck didn't hold out against Izzy though, whose Venonat was much tougher than it appeared. But the match was fun, and Cody figured that even losses were useful. As night set in, some of the younger boys were getting ready to sleep since everybody had to take a shift of night watch. But Cody stayed up for a bit and talked with Izzy, since Izzy had been out on his own for awhile now.

"Yeah, I could be out here by myself, but I've been getting nervous lately," Izzy said nodding his head. It wasn't too late, but he was obviously tired from the days hike. "I keep hearing rumors about weirdoes in helmets running around."

"Weidoes in helmets, huh? That could be just a rumor you know," Cody replied. He was keeping himself occupied by looking at his records. Part of he field guide had a list for pokemon you saw on a route, and how many you saw in total. It was just statistics to whoever looked the book over. He also read up on some of the monsters he saw that day. During this, Squirtle was sleeping inside his shell rocking back and forth on Cody's lap. "I mean, who would possibly run around out here wearing helmets. The Cipher?"

"You know, I never thought about that," Izzy said his voice trailing off.

"There's no way," Cody continued. "They got broke up twice by some dude in Orre."

"Yeah, but that would explain it so well. I mean, the Cipher-"

"Wouldn't be here," Cody said interrupting. "If they were back, they wouldn't be down here looking for anything. There's nothing down here… Is there?"

"No, not that I know off," Izzy said in a quiet voice so he wouldn't wake the boys. "Unless there's something in those salt mines down south. So, you're from Stone Rise huh? That a cool place?"

"I guess," Cody replied as he now began to examine Squirtle's shell. He took a rag from his pack and started to polish it, cleaning out the dirt in the crevices. "The crime rate is low, and the buildings look nice. I live in the suburbs, but I have spent a lot of time in the city itself, even though it's built on hills. Really stupid. But it's still a cool place. You?"

"Oh, we're all from Sapling Town down south. Really small place. Population of less than a thousand. But it's cool. I left last year on the gym challenge, but I only stayed out six months and only got two badges. All of the guys wanted to come with me since they're stuck in such a small place. So they're coming with me to learn the ropes. You ever consider taking the gym challenge?"

"I know my friend is," Cody said, a pang of guilt beating at his gut in remembering Laurence. "My brother did too. But I dunno. I've thought about it, but twelve badges seems like way too much work. Besides, gym leaders are hard from what I've heard. I just wanted to come out here for fun."

"Battling gyms IS fun," Izzy said in a matter of fact voice. "And they aren't too hard if you know what you're doing. All that's required to challenge a Gym is at least three pokemon. And Gym Leaders are supposed to raise multiple sets of pokemon for each level of tier you battle on."

"Tiers of battle?" Cody asked with questioning in his tone.

"Yeah. If you have no badges and you go to a gym, you battle on first tier, and if you battle with eleven badges, you battle on twelfth tier, and so on. I heard most talented trainers can sweep the gyms in three years, and then you get to go to Diamond Beach for the tournament. I so wanna go there some day. Imagine it."

"Yeah, that would be awesome," Cody said in a daze of daydream. He could picture himself standing on the stadium field with a pokeball in hand. The fantasy stopped there, mainly because he didn't know what pokemon would be in the ball. Maybe Squirtle or his evolved forms? Too many questions. "That tournament is on right now too. They're doing pre-tourney battles for a week or so. I gotta get to Kindle in a week or so if I wanna watch the real stuff."

"Meh, I'm not as excited this year after Proyn won last year. I mean, he was awesome."

"Yeah, he was pretty cool, but if I wanted to go to a gym, which one is closest?"

Izzy didn't need much time to think. "Past Kindle City and Lahonburg and other little places along the way, you would want to head northwest to get to Tempest Valley where they have a Flying Gym. The guy who runs it is named Eagle. Really nice guy too. He gave me a lot of pointers on raising pokemon. I think it would only take about a month of training to beat his first tier, though it took me longer since I use bugs. But you should do fine. You were pretty good already, and you gave my Venonat a hard time for a beginner."

"Hmm. I guess I try it out," Cody said as motivation began to set in. He felt the urge to outdo Laurence, which he might have a chance at, since Laurence still only had one pokemon. He'd have to catch and train two more. They were almost on even ground. "What's good against flying again? Rock, right?"

"And electric," added Izzy. "I know where you can get a rock pokemon though. If you go down to the old salt mines, you can probably find a Geodude or a Rhyhorn or something."

"Yeah… Hey, you look tired," Cody commented as Izzy yawned. "I'll take first watch if you want."

"Sure, you can do that if you want, wake me in two hours then."

The final words between them weren't much, and as Izzy drifted off to sleep, Cody kept himself awake near the fire, while Squirtle continued to sleep. He began to feel lonely with everybody asleep. He began to think of his family, mainly his mother. She was probably still crying about his leaving. He thought of Laurence too, wondering if he'd see him on this route. Probably not. There were a millions of trails to take. Laurence was probably on a different one. But one thing that wouldn't leave Cody's mind was Angie. He could remember her wavy red hair, and her cute face. It was kind of strange, because he never thought of her much in recent days, but she plagued his mind now. He remembered the day they split. He lost his temper at her. Badly. He could barely remember why now. He was pushed over the edge by something. But it was his fault. "I really ****ed that up," he thought.

But it was time to move on and forget his past. He was ready to try the gym challenge. He felt that adventure would come from it. That was what he wanted all along. This may be the source."We can do it," he whispered to his Squirtle. "I know we can." He looked up into the stars that rested on the sky. He wanted to see them all. Or something just as great.

* * *

"There's one," he whispered to Squirtle as he fumbled with his book. The two had left the group after breakfast, and they spent five hours walking to the abandoned mine. The pokemon he was watching was licking a large chunk of salt that it had carried out of the mine. "Oh, here it is."

Wild Rhyhorn fight in a very brutish manor. The basic tactic is to charge the opponent and try not to turn while running. Because of this, Rhyhorn in the wild are easily caught. However, a strike by its horn can severely injure its opponents.

Cody marked down the Rhyhorn sighting, and looked down at Squirtle. "Spray it," he said simply, and the tiny turtle jumped up and spayed a powerful water jet at the rhino. The Rhyhorn was pushed some, and it cringed in pain. But rage appeared in its eyes, and it charged Squirtle straight on. "Dodge!" Cody called out, but Squirtle was already doing so. The Rhyhorn didn't turn though, like the book said, and he ran straight off cliff.

Cody just stared at where the Rhyhorn ran off, dumbfounded that it would do such a thing. Squirtle looked around for his foe, and started grunting in frustration.

"Calm down dude," Cody muttered in shock, and he went and looked over the cliff. It has only a thirty foot drop, but that was still pretty high. The Rhyhorn seemed okay though, as it walked away, forgetting its own stupidity. Several dozen Diglett frantically popped in and out of the ground below, shocked that a heavy pokemon had landed on their territory. They squeaked in panic, but as they started to calm down, they swarmed the Rhyhorn, and started to attack it, causing the poor Rhino to run off yelping.

Suddenly Cody was knocked off of his feet. A Diglett had popped up under his foot, causing him to topple. It looked angry. Did it know that Cody was the cause of its problems? Or was it just pissed off? Squirtle immediately pounced the mole, but the Diglett countered by slashing at it with a little paw that emerged from the earth for a split second. It then bolted underground right after, but came up again under Squirtle, knocking it into the air. Cody picked up his book which lay on the ground, and flipped to Diglett.

_Diglett prefer to chew on roots and not battle, but the more ambitious ones are feisty in fights. They like to confuse their opponents by continually digging underground and popping under them. They rarely come completely above the ground though. They are known for filling in the ground perfectly when digging, or moving straight through the earth at surface. This is done on other surfaces too. It is believed that this ability was evolved as a survival tactic to prevent enemies from following them underground._

Cody looked back at Diglett, who was juggling Squirtle repeatedly. It seemed to know exactly where Squirtle would land every time. Cody watched nervously for a minute, but put together a quick plan to counter the mole's strategy.

"Use bubble now!" He called when Squirtle head first. The bubbles burst out at the oncoming Diglett who squeaked in pain. Blinded by the water, it tried to scratch Squirtle, but failed. Squirtle easily dodged these swipes, and then head butted the pokemon who was even smaller than himself. But it regained its sight, and began to dig again. Squirtle was on guard this time however, and when the Diglett reemerged, he grabbed it and wouldn't let it go. The struggle between the two lasted about a minute, but finally with one sweeping movement, Squirtle heaved the little pokemon above his head. The mole's anatomy was somewhat amusing. It had a rodent-like body with four limbs and no tail. But this little body was the size of its head, which squirmed just as much as its body. Probably the most prominent feature was its nose, which made weird movements as it squeaked.

"Good job buddy, now throw it in the air and use Water Gun." And like an archer, Squirtle shot down his target with a stream of water after he made the toss. The mole fell to the earth with a thud. It then occurred to Cody that he had successfully knocked out a wild pokemon without it retreating, and by pure instinct, he pulled out a pokeball and threw it at the fainted Diglett. A burst of light surrounded the Diglett, and then it was pulled inside. The ball clinked as it hit the ground and then wiggled a few times before settling.

Squirtle looked confused once more like he was when Rhyhorn had run off the cliff. He couldn't figure out where the opponent had gone. But Cody knew. He picked up the pokeball and held it in the sunlight, letting the beams reflect onto various objects. A grin rested on his face as he looked down at Squirtle. "I told you we'd find you a friend."

* * *

**Review! I sound like a broken record, but for serious peeps. Anyway, I won't update for awhile. My family is going to the UK for vacation and I won't get back until July 4th. Chapter four is ready, but I'm not going to post it until I get back. So enjoy, review, recommend stuff to me, etc.**

**So a big problem I've been having lately is deciding when it is proper to capitalize a pokemon's name or their moves. Since all pokemon get capitalized in just about everything else, I had to make a decision. I think I'm going to capitalize their names but not generalizations. We'll see how this works out.**


	4. Chapter 4: New Fortunes

**Chapter 4: New Fortunes**

The road to Kindle City continued for a week. Cody felt tired from the endless trail, but he kept his spirits up with Squirtle and Diglett, both who grew stronger with every battle fought, whether it was a win or loss.

He soon realized after catching Diglett that the mole was a very feisty pokemon, and it wasn't just because he had disturbed him earlier. The pokemon was only eight inches tall, but thought he was as big as an Onix. He tried to bully Squirtle on a regular basis, who tried to play along with it. It took Cody awhile to gain Diglett's trust. He had to constantly dig up roots for the little pokemon to eat, and eventually, the mole eventually began to accept Cody's training. He even befriended Squirtle after some effort on Cody's part, but the two could not cooperate in double battles, since Diglett believed he could do everything himself while Squirtle watched.

Despite this new pokémon's stubbornness, Cody was able to break him into a fighting machine that would listen his commands. He continually trained both his pokemon against the numerous trainers he met on the road, most of them being new like himself. There was one trainer that Cody fought who had ten badges. Since his pokemon were much better, he agreed to fight Cody on a handicap of only using his Arcanine against Diglett and Squirtle in a double battle without fire moves. Even with these limitations, he decimated Cody's in less than a minute, mostly because Diglett was way too reckless. Cody figured that he may have been able to last longer if Diglett had been more careful in the fight.

Food was always an issue. His pokemon were good at finding their own food, but his supply was running short already, forcing him to scavenge. Occasionally, he would meet up with other trainers, and everybody would share food, but sometimes this was not the case. There were two nights that he had to camp alone, and on those nights, he slept lightly in fear of the wild.

Despite these troubles however, Cody remained in a good mood. He was happy, and so were his pokemon. It was the eighth day of his travels when Cody finally reached the mountain that was several miles off of Kindle City. The city looked smaller than Stone Rise, but it had more suburban areas around it according to the map. It also stretched into multiple smaller towns in the north, making it a bustling little burg. As Cody walked through the trails, he saw many trainers, experienced and newbies, who trained in the forested area which was less dense than the route that Cody had came from. Upon seeing a new trainer, many of them asked to battle, but he declined these offers. Squirtle and Diglett were getting tired from the constant battles they were in all week, and Cody figured that they needed some rest.

As morning turned to afternoon, Cody finally reached an outskirt bus station that would take him into the city when the next bus arrived… in thirty minutes according to the schedule. He sighed and sat down on a bench. Squirtle, who was out of its pokeball, sat next to him in an attempt to copy his posture. He was getting noticeably bigger. Originally, he was barely a foot tall, but in a few short days, he had grown several inches. Cody figured it might be from all of the training they did. Or maybe it was just the pokechow. Or maybe it was because Squirtle was still young, and he grew faster at that age. He didn't know, but he was happy to see his pokemon getting bigger. Leaning his head back, he looked up at the puffy clouds and his eyes began to close.

"You know that there isn't going to be a bus coming till 1:30, right?"

Cody was startled by the voice that broke the silence. He was only shaken for a moment before he turned around to see who it belonged to. It was a girl about his age. Her chocolate colored hair fell down below her shoulders, and her eyes were of the same color. She wore a purple short-sleeve shirt, and knee length jeans, with two pokeballs hanging off of her belt.

"Uh… yeah, I just had nothing better to do right now, and my pokemon are really tired. We've been battling all week and I need to get to the pokemon center soon," Cody told her, letting the words carelessly slip from his lips. He felt exhausted and just wanted to sleep in a real bed for a night or two. Squirtle slowly rose out of his sitting position and sniffed the air where the girl stood. She slowly extended her hand and stroked him right above the nose, causing him to wrinkle it at her touch. She looked back at Cody curiously.

"I've never seen you around here though. Are you from out of town or something?" she questioned as her gaze shifted between him and his pokemon.

"Yeah, I'm from Stone Rise. I left about a week ago," he stammered. He didn't feel focused as he explained his situation. Normally, he would have shown interest in talking with a girl, especially one who was this attractive, but he just wanted to get some rest.

"Look, do you wanna battle real quick? I'm pretty new too, and I really need to pull in some wins." After she said this, Cody smiled weakly.

"I would any other day, but my head is killing me and my pokemon are too tired to fight right now," but the moment he said the word "fight," Squirtle sat up with a jolt.

"He looks willing," she replied. "Come on, please?" And then she gave the lip. Cody sighed. "I hate this trick," he thought to himself. "Why do they do that?"

"Sure, I guess I can go for a round. But I only have two pokemon."

"So do I. How much do you want a wager?" she asked with excitement.

"Umm… I'll go sixty I guess."

"Fine, let's go to that grassy spot over there," and they went over to opposite sides of the patch. "Okay Feathers, let's win!" she shouted as she released a little pidgey onto the field. The cute pigeon chirped as it fluttered near its trainer. Cody wasn't shaken though. Squirtle had already fought many pidgey this week, wild and trained, so in theory, this shouldn't be much different.

"Okay Squirtle, this looks like a job for yo-" but before Squirtle entered the patch, a flashing light burst from his belt. Diglett had released himself into the earth, squeaking with fury.

"Agai- Come on Diglett, why do you have to do this all the time!" He noticed the girl giggling.

"Does that happen a lot?" She asked amongst her laughter.

"Yeah, he's too eager to battle. Hopefully he calms down or I'm gonna have to chain him up inside or something," he then turned to Diglett who was still rearing to go. "Okay, you can battle, but you better prove yourself. This is kinda outta your element. Use sand-attack!" Diglett popped under the earth and reappeared in a flash, spitting fresh mud in the pidgey's direction, but the girl saw it coming. On her command, the bird blew the dirt away with a gust, though Diglett stood sturdy enough to not be blown away too.

"Now follow it up with a diving tackle," she commanded as her bird swooped at Diglett. It immediately ducked, but when it reemerged, it had to duck again to avoid Feathers again as it attempted to strike him once more. This pattern continued for about half a minute. Cody noted that Feathers seemed to know where Diglett would come up everytime. It must have been instinct that allowed Pidgey to predict where Diglett would resurface.

"Okay Diglett, you'll have to scratch it when it comes down!" Diglett seemed to comprehend, and managed to slash the pidgey as it made another attempt to tackle it. But as the bird rose above Diglett's range again, the girl countered.

"Quick Attack!" she shouted and the bird slammed into Diglett at top speed, leaving the mole dazed. "Again!" The little bird smacked into the mole a second time, and though Diglett hit it with a scratch, Feathers seemed to ignore the hit. "One more time!" But as it approached again, Diglett snapped underground, dragging Feathers's foot with it. The bird tried to fly free, but the dirt had compacted around its foot.

"Dig!" Cody commanded, and it popped up under the bird, sending it flying up and then into the ground. It tried to get to its flight again, but Diglett used dig again to send it into the ground. "Now use headbutt!" Diglett charged across the field and smacked its head into Feathers's chest, causing it to pass out. The girl stood there for a moment in shock over the speedy conclusion before recalling her pokemon.

"Good try Feathers, return!" she said as she reached for her other pokeball. "I didn't expect a Diglett to beat a flying pokemon. But now, it's go time. Come on out Somnos!" and her pokeball exploded to reveal a little two-legged tadpole. Cody felt his adrenaline rush. He hadn't fought a poliwag yet. He pulled out the field guide and turned to Poliwag.

_Poliwag are typically uncomfortable fighting outside of water, but can begin walking on land a few weeks after birth. The most common Poliwag tactic is to hypnotize the opponent before-_

"Hey, are we going to start soon?" the girl questioned impatiently. Slightly disappointed, Cody nodded as he put away the book. He knew what he needed to know though.

"Okay Diglett, you have to keep moving. Scratch!" The mole squeaked and ducked under the surface, just barely dodging a bubble attack. He resurfaced next to the poliwag and took a swipe at his chest, hitting the hypnotic pattern. Somnos flinched upon being hit, but something was wrong. Diglett's paw was stuck in his gooey chest.

"Now's your chance! Hypnosis!" The girl yelled and the poliwag by swirling the pattern on its chest, caused a hypnotic force that even Cody could feel from where he was standing. Diglett struggled, trying to escape, but ended up falling into a slumber, allowing the tadpole to capitalize. "Water Gun!" A spray of water shot out of Somnos's mouth, striking Diglett at full force. Its body went limp.

"Good effort Diglett! Return!" The moment Cody recalled Diglett, Squirtle left his side to enter the fray. "Strike it with a water gun!" Cody shouted, but the blast that hit the poliwag, it didn't seem to get injured at all. Then Cody remembered something he had read about poliwag before. "Water won't damage a pokemon with the ability to absorb water!"

"Bubble!" the girl commanded, and Somnos shot a stream of bubbles at Squirtle, who was too slow to escape. He didn't take much damage by the way he had absorbed the shot, but the bubbles slowed his movement. Cody ordered his turtle to tackle the tadpole, but the poliwag easily dodged his hindered movements. A new plan needed to be made.

"Tail whip!" Cody shouted, and his pokemon wagged its tail, provoking poliwag to try using a close ranged double-slap. But Squirtle was crafty. It fell to its chest, causing Somnos to trip over his shell before. Before Somnos stood back up, Squirtle managed to tackle the prone polliwog.

"Don't let it phase you Somnos! Use Hypnosis!"

"Withdraw!" he commanded, and his pokemon hid in its shell. But the poliwag kept using its attack. Cody figured that the attack might be able to make Squirtle drowsy, even in the shell, which was why Somnos was persistent. But a light bulb went on in his head. "Use Water Gun!" Squirtle poked his head out of his shell, and shot a stream of water at the ground. By luck, his head was facing away from the tadpole when he withdrew, and when he shot a jet at the ground, his shell launched into Somos's body, knocking it to the ground. "Now tackle it!" Squirtle jumped into the air before tackling the tadpole, but something odd happened. Instead of using a tackle, it flipped and swung its tail into the poliwag's chest. As it made contact, the tail glowed silver for a second. The impact was enough to put Poliwag out. But Cody looked in awe at what he had just saw.

"What the… what the hell was that?" He asked himself in amazement. The girl, who was now picking up her pokemon, heard him.

"I don't know, but it looked like it was trying to use iron tail," she said heavily. "That was really fun though. I thought I had you for a moment."

Cody went over and picked up Squirtle, who was beaming with pride. "Yeah, I don't know about that. But good fight. I got lucky with that shell launching thing though." He shook hands with the girl and accepted his winnings.

"Yeah, but it was cool," she replied with a smile. She looked incredibly cute. But Cody looked away as he saw a city bus pulled up to the stop. "Hey, the bus is here early. Let's go!"

The girl got on the bus first, showing a bus pass before boarding. Cody followed behind her, putting a few coins in the payment box. The bus was mostly empty. Only a few seats were taken by a few adults, and another trainer who was asleep. Cody was about to sit down, but the girl motioned for him to sit with her. He couldn't complain. He set his gear in the seat next to him and sat down next to the girl.

"So I didn't catch your name," she said casually as the bus began to move.

"Me? It's Cody. Cody Storm," he answered quietly trying not to wake up the trainer in the seat behind him. But this effort was pointless when she giggled.

"That's an interesting name," she said, "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at your name, I was jus-"

"No, it's cool," he replied. "Everybody laughs at my name. Yours?"

"Oh, my names Heather Landon," she responded. Her poliwag was now asleep on her lap, snoring in chirp like noises.

"That's a pretty name," Cody thought to himself. "You live here in Kindle?"

"I live out in the suburbs, but yeah. How long do you plan on staying here?"

"Umm… maybe a few days before I get out again. I'm heading up to Tempest Valley. I don't know if I'm gonna take the League Challenge but there's supposed to be a gym up there, so you know. I guess I'll make a decision about it when I get there."

Heather looked confused. "Why would you even be traveling with pokemon if you don't want to take the gym challenge? You're not a researcher, are you?"

"No, I just… wanna get out and travel, you know? I want to see the world. I wanna have fun, and this week has been one of the best weeks of my life. I mean, you have to be ungodly talented to reach the tournament. Why stress over it?"

"Well, I guess your right, but it would still be fun to try, right?"

"Yeah… I don't know though. I guess if I get good enough, I'll give it a shot," he said as he held out a piece of kibble for Squirtle.

"You should. I wish I was in your shoes. My parents are all hesitant about me leaving and everything," she said with a slight tone of embarrassment in her voice.

"Hey, it took me a year of convincing to finally get out here," Cody replied. "My mom was freaky about the whole thing because of Der…" he trailed off for a moment. Talking about the past with strangers would be was awkward. "Yeah… she just kinda freaked out. But you know, anybody else can do it. Why can't I?"

"That's what I said!" Heather injected "But also, my friends; the ones with pokemon, don't want to leave. I mean, it would suck to go it alone, right?" But at the mention of friends, Cody suddenly remembered his.

"Oh crap, thanks for reminding me," he said as he pulled out his phone. It had enough bars now. He was about to dial Laurence's number, but he suddenly stopped. "You know what, I'll do it later. How many stops do we have until we reach the pokemon center?"

"About five."

"Okay, it can wait 'till then."

* * *

The two trainers chatted for the rest of the ride. The subjects went from pokemon to food to music as the buildings changed from houses to towers.

"So you play guitar?" Heather asked as the bus pulled up at the Pokemon Center. It was a huge domed building with trainers entering and exiting at every second. Pokemon of all species were standing outside with their trainers, ranging from Zigzagoon to Infernape.

"Yeah, a little bit," Cody responded humbly. "I would have brought it with me, but it was kinda bulky and all. It's hard to walk all day with that big of a load." When the bus opened its doors, the two stood up Cody grabbed his stuff, strapping it onto his back before picking up Squirtle.

"I used to play piano, but I quit a few years back. It just got kinda tiring after awhile, you know?" The two of them were now exiting the bus and heading up to the center, weaving their way through the crowd.

"Yeah, I gotcha. So how does this work inside?"

"Oh, you just sign some papers, hand them your pokemon, they give you an estimate on how long they'll be looking at your pokemon, and then you wait. They have a food court and a lounge with an internet connection in there too. They also have free rooms to sleep in, but getting a room is first come first serve, so they're usually filled." At this point, they had already entered the center and were in line behind a few other trainers. Eventually, Cody got his papers and signed in his pokemon before handing their pokeballs to the nurse behind the counter, who released them onto a table behind her, giving them a look over.

"They look pretty healthy. Just tired. Come back to pick them up in an hour or so," the nurse said in a cheerful yet somewhat scripted response.

"Okay thanks," Cody replied as his pokemon were carted away. They both had worried looks in their eyes. "They look kinda scared," He muttered to Heather, who had finished handing off her pokemon to a second nurse.

"Don't worry. Most pokemon are worried when they are first handed to the nurses. And your pokemon are young, so they might be having some separation anxiety," she said in a thoughtful voice. "Come on, you wanna get some pizza or something?"

"Sure, why not?" he replied, and they went to one of the buffets and grabbed some pizza slices before sitting down at a table.

"So you think you'll be leaving tomorrow or in a few days?" Heather questioned.

Cody took a few bites of his pizza. It tasted kind of dry, but it was still decent eating. "Yeah, I'll make a decision in the morning. I'm just glad I could get some food in my stomach for right now. I'll probably drop by a mart to pick up some supplies. Mostly antidotes. We ran into so many Weedle on our way-" he stopped as he felt his phone vibrating. "Hold on," he said as he opened up his phone.

"Hey Cody, why the hell did you leave without telling us? I got worried, and you wouldn't answer your phone!" Angie's voice came through the phone in almost a shout.

"Hey Angie," he answered in a mild stun. "I'm sorry, but my mom more or less told me to leave as soon as possible after I got a pokemon, and the forest I walked through was filled with reception blocking trees. You could have just left me a message or something. My phone would have vibrated if I had hit any spots that got reception." As he was talking, he noticed Heather was watching a wall TV now, where two pokemon were dueling on the screen.

"I tried to, but your mailbox is full, genius!"

"Oh, what? Ugh… fine. But hey, I'm sorry."

"That's okay. It's going to get dull around here without you. I'm gonna be stuck with Paul, and you know how he is," she said as her voice started to calm.

"It's not like you don't have any other friends," Cody replied.

"Yeah, I guess, but you guys are are… crap, I have to go. My mom is yelling at me again. Look, I wanna hear all about your journey so far. Call me later or something."

"Sure thing Angie. See you later." He closed his phone, and turned his head to see what battle Heather was watching. It was the first round of the major battles in the league tournament. Cody recognized the one trainer. An elderly man named Simon Kojiti was battling. Apparently, he was a high ranked trainer in his day, but out of all the tournaments he competed in, he had never won the big one in Skitrex. His final pokemon, an ancient looking hitmonchan, was sparring with a youthful looking ivysaur, controlled by an equally young trainer. The younger trainer looked about 17 or so. His eyes were intense.

"Who was that? Girlfriend?" Heather asked curiously.

Cody laughed. "Close. Ex-girlfriend. But we're still friends and stuff."

"Oh that's good. Things can get super awkward after a breakup. I know what that's like," she answered.

"Yeah, it was for us. But a friend of mine kinda patched things up between us. Good thing too. But hey, who's battling right now?"

"Um… Simon Kojiti, and… I don't know. They haven't mentioned the other guy's name. He's really good though. But he's kind of young. They're both on their last pokemon." She said, not taking her eye's away from the screen. The announcers were calling each move of both pokemon as they happened.

"**Wow, look at that Ivysaur go! It's amazing that it can dodge those punches so easily! Kojiti definitely trained his pupil well!"**

**"You got that right Joel! But you gotta consider that Hitmonchan is pretty old now. Oldest member on Kojiti's team to be exact. It wouldn't be farfetched to think that a youthful pokemon like this ivysaur could out perform an older pokemon. But he better stay on his guard. His elder may have a trick up his sleeve. Still, I definitely believe that Constantine is a dark horse in this tournament" The boy's name appeared on the bottom of the screen. Constantine Toronal.**

"Never heard of him before. But damn, that ivysaur can move. He must be a good." They continued to watch the two pokemon battle. The ivysaur had now moved onto the offensive. Four vines shot out from under its tulip. Two of the vines lashed at the older pokemon's fists, trying to immobilize them. The other two vines tried to wrap around its feet in an attempt to trip him. The flowered pokemon also kept shooting green spores at the boxer, though the hitmonchan ducked to avoid these clouds. Despite its efforts, the Ivysaur had to keep stepping backwards so that it wouldn't get hit by the icey punches that the elderly pokemon was throwing. But soon, the hitmonchan had pressured the flowered pokemon to the edge of the battlefield.

"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!" Constantine commanded. Sharp leaves shot from the pokemon's back and slashed Hitmonchan's face. It had blocked such attacks earlier, but it was caught off-guard. Working with the distraction, the ivysaur managed to halt the pokemon's punches with his vines, and lunged at its chest which was now wide open, knocking the hitmonchan onto its back. But as it landed with a slide, the ivysaur suddenly flew into the air from a fiery blast. Hitmonchan's right hand had broken free, and landed a fire punch onto Ivysaur's chest, sending it upward. The elderly pokemon then hopped to its feet and with a short hop, it connected its fist to the ivysaur's chin as it fell back down. The flowered pokemon landed on its back, but before it could stand back up, the hitmonchan leapt into the air and landed a mega punch in its chest. Ivysaur let out a loud groan before falling limp.

**"There you have it folks! Simon Kojiti has defeated his pupil to move on to the second round! But what a showing from Constantine. This kid is one we gotta look out for next year!"**

**"You said it. His battling skills were almost flawless. Almost. Maybe next year! But this may be Simon's year to add the Skitrex Cup to his collection of accolades! Stay tuned folks! Holly Urolese vs. Kyle Nurota will be on in ten minutes!"**

"Wow that was intense," Cody said with an amazed voice. His mind was replaying the last moments of the battle.

"Yeah, and Simon's pokemon didn't even need to be told what to do. Talk about awesome," Heather replied, still looking at the screen. Both trainers were now hugging in the center of the center of the field after shaking hands. The old hitmonchan stood next to his trainer. It looked really frail now that it wasn't battling. "I wish I could be mentored by him…"

"Yeah, that Constantine guy is one lucky dude," Cody answered, his voice trailing off. "Damn, it would be prime to fight on that level of competition," he said in a surreal voice.

"Yeah, it wou-" Heather stopped suddenly as she picked up her phone. After staring at it for a second, she put it away and looked up. "Well, my mom wants me home for some reason. Look, Cody, it was really nice meeting you. I hope you do well out there," she said, smiling.

"Thanks. Maybe you'll get out there too someday," he replied returning her smile.

"Nah, I doubt it. You know how parents are," she said, her smile now weakening.

"You just gotta appeal to their better nature. No harm in trying again. But I'm not gonna come in and tell you what to do. I mean-"

"No, you're right. Again, good luck Cody," and with a wave, she was gone.

* * *

"Okay man, when you get enough money, buy text messaging. Or delete your voice messages. I kept trying to call you all week you know." Laurence and Cody had been talking for ten minutes now as Cody walked through the streets of Kindle. His pokemon were back with him now, and Squirtle walked by his side. He felt more comfortable with a pokemon out. This city didn't feel as safe as Stone Rise.

"Yeah, I already made a bit. Maybe if I start winning more. But hey, enough about me. How have you been doing?"

"Oh, I'm cool," he replied. "I actually skipped Kindle and went to Marin Village."

"Where?" Cody asked.

"Marin Village. It's this little village in the mountains with no electricity, except for their telegram. They didn't even have a traditional pokemon center. Just a few doctors that used herbs. But it was nice. Kinda rustic and natural, ya know? I'll be reaching Tempest Valley a week earlier, but I need to capture another pokemon."

"I assume you already caught a second one then?" Cody questioned. He remembered what that bug catcher told him about how many pokemon a person needed.

"Yeah, a Shellos. Cute little pokemon. I'll email a picture of it to you when I reach town. But yeah, I need another pokemon. I'm looking for an electric type. Maybe an Elekid or something. I'm already at a disadvantage considering Flex is a fighting type."

"Well, good luck to you. I'm probably leaving tomorrow. Gonna head north over the Leathron Mountains."

"Well, good lu- What! Look, I'm on the phone… Fine. Sorry Cody, some jerk is harassing me about battl- Yes you're a jerk! I'm on the phone! Sorry, I'll catch you later," and before Cody could say goodbye, Laurence hung up.

Shrugging it off, Cody kept walking. He wasn't walking anywhere in particular; just trying to stretch his legs before sleeping. He had gotten a jolt of energy after having pizza, and now he had to burn it off. Heather kept drifting back into his mind. He didn't understand why though. She was cute, but it didn't matter now. He probably wouldn't see her again if her parents were going to be hard-assed about her traveling. It wasn't a huge deal though. There were a lot of people out there worth meeting.

He was now on a street covered with vendors, selling all sorts of things. Probably black market goods, but that was just an assumption. Squirtle seemed to be getting nervous by all the shouting from vendors aimed at the passerbys as they tried to find buyers. There were a lot of cool looking things on market. One man was selling what looked like masterballs, but they looked fake. He began to feel anxious on this street, so he turned around to leave before somebody could get a chance to scam him. But a scream made him halt.

"Child, you're stepping on my mat!" Cody was pulled out of his thoughts as he stepped back. An old woman was sitting on a mat, surrounded by little sculptures and old looking jewelry was glaring at him.

"Oh God, I'm sorry!" Cody stammered, and his face went pale. The woman was wearing old shawls and her face looked as if her skin were flowing like water. But the most noticeable thing was her left eye… or lack there of. As she opened her mouth to speak again, he saw that she was missing a good number of teeth. The ones that were left were rotting.

"Children today can't even be bothered to pay attention to where they walk. You irresponsible brats should be home and not running around with your little pets," she said, motioning to Squirtle, who stood behind Cody's leg, shaking violently. He noticed that the little pokemon looked terrified, so he picked him up as the old woman continued. "Now you almost crushed one of my precious statues. These were not easy to get, so I demand you buy one for almost causing them harm."

"Look, I said I was sorry, and I really can't buy any of your knickknacks. I have to save mon-"

"These are not knickknacks!" The woman screeched. People nearby began to stare as Cody stepped back slowly. "These are precious artifacts from the Arcean Ruins here in Skitrex! Very hard to sneak out! Now buy one, or face the consequences!"

"Fine, fine! Christ…" Cody groaned. He wasn't quite sure what kind of consequences such an elderly woman could impose, but he decided he'd rather not find out. He knelt down to look at the statues and artifacts the woman was selling. They looked really odd, but they were all intriguing. Most of them were formed like legendary pokemon that appeared in pictures of history books. There were also nice pieces of jewelry, but they all struck him as being feminine. "What do you think I should get?" He asked Squirtle, but the pokemon wouldn't respond. It kept staring at the woman in fright.

"Look, these… things… are all very nice, but I really don't want or need any of them." The woman kept staring.

"I deserve compensation!" she blurted at him, spit flying from her mouth as she spoke.

"Compensation for what! I didn't break anything!" Cody yelled back, feeling the frustration rise within him. "Look lady, I don't want to buy anything so please just let me leave." She shook her head.

"Then pay me five dollars so I can read your fortune. I'm not letting you leave until you pay me something," she replied firmly.

"Uh… I don't believe in fortune telling," Cody responded, but seconds later, he felt like that was the wrong thing to say to this woman.

"I am a Seer of Arceus," she stated proudly. "Now let me read your palm!"

"Yeah, I don't believe in Ar-" he stopped himself this time, and with a sigh, he pulled a few crumpled bills from his pocket and handed them to the crone. Seconds later she pulled out his palm causing him to lurch in fright. Squirtle was now in his shell, quaking rapidly. After a minute of being in this uncomfortable position, she began to talk as she traced the lines of his palm with her finger.

"Hmm… good child… but you are rash… your love line is notable… you conceal anger… and… wait, that can't-" she stopped and looked at him with confusion in her eye. She turned around and pulled out a glass sphere filled with a lavender mist. "Put your hand on this!" She commanded her voice cracking. He felt a wave of apprehension pass through him. Something was bothering this woman. Shivering, he extended his hand and pressed his palm against the orb. She stared at the patterns, her eye following the swirling mist. After doing this for a minute or so, the orb slipped out of her hand with a thud, and she stared at Cody with a look of fear and confusion.

"Child, you are marked!" She exclaimed with shock. He looked back with bewilderment.

"Yeah… that's nice. Look, I gave you your money, so let me go. It's getting dark." At this, Cody tried to pull away, but the woman held her grasp.

"That's what I am saying! You are marked by the dark one! He shall be stalking you now! The secret is revealed! You must be wary of his temptation!" She was getting frantic now. People were beginning to stare again. Squirtle was getting panicky again as he tried to squirm out of his trainer's arms.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Now let me go!" But the woman would not relinquish her grip, pulling his face close to hers. Her breath reeked of decay.

"The dark one knows! He selected you! Your palms speak the truth! Pray to Arceus for protection! Pray to God for purity! You are not safe!" Her screaming was getting louder. In the midst of the noise, Cody pushed her off of him and clutching the fearful Squirtle in his arms, he burst into a run, dodging vendors and pedestrians. Amongst the commotion, he could hear her shouting, "Sleep lightly and with the sun out!"

After getting out of the vendor street, Cody collapsed against a building wall, panting immensely. He had never been that frightened in a long time.

"That woman is crazy," he said to Squirtle, who now looked calm. It looked into Cody's eyes, and sensing discomfort, nuzzled his friends chest. Cody hugged the little pokemon. He could feel passersby looking at him, but it didn't matter. The whole experience… it all seemed so off.

"Hey kid, you okay?" Cody looked up to see a vendor. The man looked middle-eastern.

"Yeah, I'm cool. That was just-"

"Freaky? Yes." The man injected. "That woman who read your fortune… Her name is Madam Stella. She's crazy. I mean, absolutely delusional. I would have run too. What the hell did she tell you?"

Cody though for a moment. "I honestly… something about 'The Dark One' or something."

"Well forget it kid. She don't know a thing about anything. Don't think about anything she said." The vendor said. Cody had stood up now, and he inhaled deeply, adjusting his breathing.

"Thank you sir."

"Do you need help getting home?" He asked, but Cody shook his head.

"No, I don't live here. The Pokemon Center is only a few blocks away. But thank you."

After a quick wave, the two separated. But thoughts of what Stella had said still wavered in Cody's mind. He didn't believe them, but they still scared him. And concealed anger. She had known something about him that he hadn't told her, or even implied in their conversation. Luck? It didn't matter. The coincidence seemed huge.

"Let's never go in a back alley again," he whispered to the little turtle he carried. The little pokemon yawned as if in agreement. He chuckled quietly, but his mind wasn't set at ease. It would not for a long time.

* * *

**You'll see. You'll see****… To be honest, I find this chapter to be pretty boring. I hope people read along.**

**Anyway, chapter five is done. I need to revise it first. This is gonna be some long shit though. I'm not gonna be adding filler in or anything, but still. Hopefully people will keep reading. I would really like it if people liked this.**


	5. Chapter 5: Masked Secret

**You know, I really wish I could tell that people were reading this. I mean, I get a few hits, but no comments. For all I know, it could just be new people checking it out and not reading past chapter one. I'm really considering not continuing this and doing something else. I have a good idea for a harvest moon story, but I'm not going to write two things at once, so****…**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Masked Secret**

"Mars, you're gonna faint if you let him punch you like that! Try a magnitude again!" Cody shouted as the little mole popped underground to avoid the geodude's punch, and made a small tremor in the ground, knocking the legless stone off its balance. The diglett's attack wasn't that strong, as he had just began using the move, but it was getting ore powerful each time.

The entire week had been rather repetitive. Though Cody could have made it to Lahonburg in a week by ground, he was making an extension to his trip in the Leathron mountains as he searched for a rock pokemon. Most of the pokemon he did find were geodude, though he had spotted a few nosepass. Thinking of how badass Gordon's graveller was, catching a geodude really excited him, but most of the geodude he encountered would roll off the cliffs away from him before he could make the catch.

Food was even more scarce in the mountains than it was in the forests. Trying not to cut into his emergency rations, Cody learned from the hikers how to cook pokemon for food. The idea was bewildering at first. Eating pokemon that could have been potential partners seemed grotesque. Though he had eaten pokemon frequently in the past, it was weird preparing them rather than getting the packaged meat in the store. He hadn't actually caught any for food yet (most of the edible ones would escape anyway) but the hikers he shared meals with showed him how to prepare them. He never stuck around with the hikers though. His mother would probably yell at him for hanging out with who could possibly be pedophiles.

Diglett had gotten a bit tougher now and slightly easier to control. Cody had decided to nickname him Mars after the Roman God of war since his passion for fighting was never quenched. He was still thinking of a good nickname for Squirtle, who had also grown considerably over the week, though he couldn't get the tiny turtle to repeat the iron tail.

"Dig!" The mole popped out of the craggy cliff, hitting the geodude with full force. But after the blow, the rock yelped and scrambled to the cliff's edge where it cannonballed to a lower cliff. Cody sighed.

"There goes another one," he said dejected. The whole week seemed like a waste. He had failed to catch a single pokemon, and he was starving. Calling Mars back, he continued his way down the mountain. It took him about three hours to get back to ground level, and another hour or so after that to find fresh water. He let his pokemon out to drink while he drank the last few sips from his canteen. He'd have to build a fire later to purify more water, but that wouldn't be till later. While he drank, he noticed Squirtle playfully splashing Mars, who squeaked angrily at his fellow pokemon. Cody chuckled at this. Despite them being pokemon, they acted like people sometimes in the way they portrayed their emotions.

But the play suddenly ended when both pokemon turned around with a jolt to a background noise. Cody turned around to see what had caught their attention. A group of five older looking boys was approaching the water, talking loudly amongst themselves. They looked as if they hadn't been to a city in weeks since their clothes looked slightly dirty and ragged.

"Hey!" Cody called out to them. The one in front noticed him first, and a smirk crossed his face.

"Hey boys, look at what we got here!" The moment those words passed though his teeth, Cody felt a shiver rush through his skin. Something was wrong with what the guy just said. The older boys were now spreading out some, in a semi-circle around him. Squirtle and Mars were now standing by his side as if they were waiting for something to happen. "What's your name, Junior?"

Cody didn't answer. He could already see that these guys were trouble, and he was looking for an escape option.

"Not much of a talker, huh?" The leader said, still smirking. "Why are you out here all alone, buddy?"

Cody reached down and picked up his pack, not breaking eye contact. He decided he'd try to talk his way out of the situation.

"I'm heading to Lahonburg. I gotta get going," but as he tried to walk away, one of the boys blocked his path. The hand of the leader grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, his smirk looking much more devious now.

"Going so soon?" He replied teasingly. "How about a battle first? Then again, you'd probably lose anyway, so you might as well give me the money now." The other boys started chuckling at these words. Cody felt his face go pale at his words, but he wasn't about to hand his money over.

"No," he answered firmly. Seconds after saying this, he was pushed to the ground. Both of his pokemon went to where his head had landed, acting in concern. Cody looked around him to see that all five boys were standing in a loose circle around him now, laughing even harder at him. The leader wasn't laughing however. "No? That wasn't the right answer kid. Now we can do this the easy way…" Ending mid-sentence he grabbed a poke ball from his belt and opened it, releasing a houndoom. The pokemon looked extremely thin and mangy, but its eyes had a feral look in them as it growled. "Or we can do this the hard way."

At the releasing of his dog, Squirtle and Mars both moved to the front of their fallen trainer, both growling and squeaking at the bigger pokemon. But this just made the leader laugh.

"Awww, isn't that cute? The babies want to fight me." Then his tone suddenly grew serious. "Even if they were to take out my houndoom, I still have a seviper, and my friends have pokemon too. So do what's good for you and toss me your wallet, and we'll go away like a bad dream. What do you say, kiddo?"

Cody felt the rage growing inside of him. He knew the logical thing to do would be to hand his money over, but his emotions took over. "Tackle!"

Squirtle leaped at the dog, and Mars did a burrow rush, but the houndoom leapt over both of them at Cody, who braced himself for the attack. But it never came. Before the pokemon collided with him, it had bounced back in pain as if it had hit some sort of wall. The boys looked around in confusion, but a voice answered their question.

"Hey now, five against one isn't that fair you know." Cody looked up to see another boy standing on a mound with a Mr. Mime standing next to him. The boy looked about seventeen or so, and he in pretty good shape. He had black hair in a short mohawk, but the funny thing was that his Mr. Mime's hair was in the same style. The gang of boys were now approaching him, giving Cody a chance to stand up. But when he tried, he hit his head against the force field that the mime had put up.

"Look punk, we're trying to work here. So get lost or you're next," the leader demanded, but the ohawk teen wouldn't back down.

"Let the kid go and leave. He probably doesn't have much on him anyway." At these words, all of the boys and the houndoom were now very close to him. The leader was nearly inches away.

"You got a lot of nerve. Do you honestly think that ridiculous looking pokemon of yours can defeat us all?

_[Ridiculous!]_ The voice came out of nowhere, causing everybody except for the ohawk teen to look around. But it suddenly occurred to Cody that it was the Mr. Mime talking through ESP. His father's hypno could do the same thing.

_[May I?] _The mohawk teen nodded, and in a second, all of the gang was thrown backwards by a psychic force as if they had been tossed. Only the houndoom wasn't thrown, but it was pushed back some, still growling at the mime.

"No, I don't think Isaac can defeat all of you," he responded as the gang struggled to their feet. "But my alakazam probably can. Now I suggest you all leave, because if I choose to release him, all hell is gonna break loose."

There was a silence that lasted for a minute or so before the leader motioned to his gang to leave. As he passed Cody, he mouthed the word "lucky," his face filled with anger. After they were gone, the force field above Cody ended.

"You okay kid?" the older trainer asked as he helped Cody to his feet. As he did this, Cody noticed Squirtle and Mars examining the Mr. Mime who was paying more attention to his trainer.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but I thought that thing was gonna rip me to shreds. Thanks man," he replied as he dusted himself off. His heart was still pounding and he felt nervous standing in the clearing.

"There have been a lot more thugs out here lately," the trainer said as he bent over to pick up his backpack. It was extremely large. "You really shouldn't be traveling alone out here. It isn't as safe as it used to be."

"You should have let your alakazam out on them. Maybe they would have learned there lesson if you did," Cody said jokingly, but the trainer shook his head.

"That was a bluff. The only other pokemon I have is a masquerian, and I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat that houndoom due to the elemental coverage. We just got lucky they believed me."

"Well, you had me going too," Cody responded with a chuckle, but the older boy didn't laugh with him. He had a serious look on his face as he observed the area before he looked back to Cody.

"I got a bad feeling about this spot. Let's go back to my campsite. It's safe there and I have a lot of young trainers hanging out with me tonight." He began to head back onto a trail with his Mr. Mime following him. Cody felt a bit nervous about following a stranger back to camp after almost getting mugged but staying out by himself all of a sudden seemed like a bad idea. He decided that he might as well follow this guy because it seemed like the smarter idea for the time being. Even if it did make him anxious.

"So what's your name kid?" the mohawk trainer asked as the two of them walked down the path with their three pokemon following.

"Cody Storm. Yours?"

"Hm… That's an interesting name. Mine's Frank Bedri." Cody bit his tongue at this. The guy did not look like a Frank at all in his opinion, but he didn't say anything. The man did just save his skin after all. "So what are you doing out in the middle the forest like this?"

"Me? I'm heading to Lahonburg and then Tempest Valley. I'm thinking about taking the gym challenge. You?"

"Well, short term, me and Isaac were out berry picking, though we haven't had much luck. Long term… I've been meeting up with younger trainers lately. I'm looking for recruits."

"Recruits? What for?" Cody questioned.

"Team Rocket. We're going to try to build up a Skitrex branch so we can dominate the planet," Frank answered casually. At these words Cody stopped and stared at Frank, not knowing what to make of what he had just heard. After a short silence, Frank started laughing. "That was another lie, kid." The two continued walking. "No, it's a peace organization. We do a lot of charity work and stuff. Setting up soup kitchens, raising money for projects, helping young trainers get on their feet. Things like that."

"Oh, that sounds cool," Cody replied. "What do you mean by 'getting trainers on their feet'?" he asked curiously.

"Well Cody, there have been a lot more problems lately," Frank answered in a more serious voice. "There has been a lot more crime in the past few years regarding young trainers like yourself. I didn't actually start training pokemon until a few months ago, but back when I was a few years younger than you are now, kids who became trainers usually became trainers because they wanted too. It's different now."

"What, you mean like the people who become trainers out of necessity?" Cody questioned, remembering what the ranger who set up his license told him.

"I wouldn't call it necessity per say because there are other options, but yes, you got the right idea," Frank answered. "You see, being a trainer has been really glamorized by the media in the past few years. You see guys like Jake Tellings making it big at the Diamond Beach Tournament, and suddenly everybody wants to be like Jake. All of a sudden, you have a bunch of kids with low GPAs, or kids with little cash in their pockets, or kids who just get sucked into the craze running out and becoming trainers. Unfortunately, most of them end up crashing and burning because they don't know what they're doing. But the more rash ones refuse to give up and go home, and they get involved in crime."

"What kind of crime?" Cody asked, though he could already get a few guesses.

"Mostly drugs, theft, prostitution, gang involvement. That sort of thing." He paused for a moment as he picked a few pecha berries off a bush. "Those guys that attacked you… They were obviously poor. They were probably a bunch of drop outs who tried to make it big as trainers. And though that houndoom the one guy had looked tough, it probably was poorly trained. More like a rabid dog than a loyal hound."

"Wait, you're not sympathizing with those thugs, are you?" Cody asked. Frank shook his head.

"What they did was wrong, but I do pity them. They are the sort of example I hope we can put an end to. That's what I mean by getting trainers started. We get kids who don't have a clue about training and teach them the basics so that they can handle what's out there. Get it?"

"Yeah, I hear ya," Cody replied as he picked a pair of oran berries off a bush and tossed them back to Squirtle and Mars.

"Another thing," Frank added softly. "It would have been smarter to give those guys the money they wanted. If I hadn't shown up, I doubt you would have left unscarred. Your pokemon don't look tough enough to fight in a life or death situation. Your life is far more important than a few benjamins."

"I know, I know," Cody answered. "I just lost control. I was getting too angry too fast." He felt foolish, because the older trainer was right.

"Now I can tell by talking to you," Frank continued, "that you aren't poor, and you definitely seem smart enough to handle yourself. So you must have some idea about what you're going to do. But you should really consider joining the organization I'm in. You could probably help a lot of younger trainers and still be on the path to collecting badges if you choose to do that. Think about it for me, eh?" By this point, the sound of other teens was growing. Cody could see a bunch of kids his age eating in a clearing with their pokemon while a fire was cooking a large pot of stew.

"Well," Cody said as he inhaled the aroma of the food. It smelled like boiled Starly. "I'll consider it. But you're going to have to tell me more about it." While saying this, he looked around the other trainers. There were about fifteen of them or so. About ten of them looked poor, which Cody made the assumption of by looking at their clothes, which looked pretty worn. A few of them didn't have this look. But as he gave them an overview, his vision halted at one girl. It was Heather. She hadn't noticed him yet, as she was talking with another girl while her pidgey fluttered around her head. He was about to walk up to her when her heard Frank calling him.

"Hey Cody! Before you mingle, you wanna battle real quick? None of these rookies can match me."

"Sure man!" Cody called back, knowing that he probably couldn't match Frank either, but he'd give it a spin. The two walked over to an open patch of ground while the other trainers watched. As Frank was busy chatting with another boy, Cody opened his field guide and looked up Mr. Mime battle tactics.

_Mr. Mime are often known for their ability to think like humans, acting out of logic and reason rather than instinct. They prefer to battle in a defensive style by setting up multiple invisible walls and creating substitutes of themselves, but their psychic attacks are strong as well. However, they typically have weak frames and can easily fall to a strong physical attack._

"Looks like we got a real test on our hands, boys," Cody told his pokemon, both of which were overly eager to battle. Squirtle was in his pumped position while Mars had that look on his face.

"Cody, since they both look ready to roll, you want to have a double battle? You're two pokemon against Isaac and Wendy!" The challenge made him a bit antsy. His pokemon had yet to win a double battle due to their inability to cooperate and his inability to split his mind. But he wasn't gonna turn it down.

"Sure Frank! It's your funeral!" He said with cockiness. And then it began. Squirtle and Mars stepped up to the field to face the ohawk Mr. Mime and the fluttering Masquerian, both looking on with intensity.

"Okay guys, listen up! Mars, use-" before he finished his sentence, Mars was already earth charging at Mr. Mime at high speed. But the Mime wouldn't move.

"Isaac, barrier!" Before Mars could even hit the mime, it knocked against an invisible wall, causing him to squeak in pain. He was then knocked back by Isaac's psychic blast, but he regained his footing and started to charge again.

"Mars, you have to liste-" Cody stopped in mid-sentence and looked at Squirtle, who hadn't moved yet. It was staring at the masquerian with fear. The pokemon's wings were flapping at high speeds, creating the image of an eye in the air. The little turtle was intimidated. "You need to snap out of it Squirtle! Bubble!" The little pokemon regained his courage just in time to avoid a tackle and shot a blast of bubbles at the flying foe who easily flew out of the way before sending a gust of wind his way. It hit Squirtle directly in the chest, but he landed on his feet and tried to tackle the bug, but to no avail.

"Isaac, reflect!" A visable field appeared around the masquerian and she used it to tackle Squirtle with a reinforced strike. Squirtle tried to counter it with a tackle of his own, but he bounced off the wall that the Mime had created. Frank's plan was tightly knit thus far. Cody turned his attention back to Mars, who was dodging Isaac's blasts while trying to get around the barrier. He suddenly got an idea.

"Mars, you gotta dig under the field!" and the mole popped under the field almost instantly, and knocked the mime off his feet by reemerging under his foot, causing him to trip. Mars followed this strike up by head butting the enemy in the chest. All of a sudden, Isaac's lack of focus caused Masquerian's shield to fall. Before hearing a command, Squirtle took his chance and tackled the bug, causing her to crash into the ground.

At the sight of what had happened, the surrounding trainers began to hoot and holler. Cody could here Heather chanting his name, but he put it out of his mind. He could potentially win this battle if his pokemon started to work in synch.

"Wendy, get back into the air! Isaac, protect her!" But as the bug pokemon rose off the ground, Squirtle spayed her down with a blast of water before the field came up. Suddenly, a new idea was formed.

"Squirtle, tackle her again! Mars, magnitude!" As Squirtle hopped into the air to strike the masquerian again, Mars made the earth vibrate again, causing everybody in the surrounding area to stumble. It wasn't a strong magnitude, but it caused the Mr. Mime to lose his focus, allowing Squirtle to tackle the masquerian. But moments after, the Mime shot a psybeam at Mars, who took the move directly in the face, knocking the little diglett unconscious.

"Good job Mars! Return!" Cody called back the fallen mole to his pokeball. He looked back at Squirtle, who had barely taken any hits so far. He still had to face a weakened Masquerian and a crafty Mr. Mime. The odds were against him. "Squirtle, charge!"

The little pokemon charged the mime while dodging a silvery wind that Wendy blew at him. Isaac immediately set up a force field, but Cody expected this.

"Squirtle, jump onto the barrier, then tackle the bug!" The little pokemon obeyed, bouncing of the shield like an acrobat and striking the masquerian with a flash of an iron tail. Cody was amazed at this occurrence happening again, but he beamed with pride as the bug smashed against the earth, before being called back by her trainer. It was now Squirtle versus Isaac. The mime looked on with an intimidating glare. Squirtle tried to return the look with his own.

"You're doing great Cody, but you can't handle Isaac in a one on one setting!" Frank called out. He was right of course. It would be very hard for Squirtle to hit the mime if he kept setting up force fields. Maybe it would be better to bring the fight to Squirtle.

"Tail whip!" Squirtle flipped around and tried to taunt the Mr. Mime with his tail. It didn't work. Cody suddenly remembered what the book said about Mr. Mime being logical.

"Confusion!" With a wave of his hands, the Mime set up psychic waves in the air before Squirtle. The little turtle grunted and ran straight through, though his motions grew slower as he ran. He managed to tackle the Mime, but he swayed from the after affects of the confusion. Taking the opportunity, Mr. Mime suddenly split into two mimes at his trainer's command.

"Squitle, water gun!" The turtle aimed a watery blast at the first Mime he saw, but it vanished as the attack hit. He was the knocked off his feet by a cluster of colored leaves that Isaac shot from afar. The slicing of the leaves really injured Squirtle as he weakly looked on to his foe, who still had energy to burn. The places where the leaves had hit looked extremely bruised under the trickles of blood. The grass attack had really done its work on Squirtle, but he was still standing. "Water gun again!"

"Psybeam, Isaac!" Both moves collided in the center of the field. It looked like one of those TV moments when two powerful beams collided before one gave out. It was Squirtle's water gun that was over powered, and he was hit straight on by the psybeam, causing him to pass out.

"Good job Squirtle," Cody said sadly as he returned the fallen turtle to his ball. Some of the trainers were now applauding the battle's end. Frank was patting his Mr. Mime's back before walking up to Cody to shake his hand.

"I knew you were something Storm. That was an excellent battle for a beginner. Your diglett needs to be a bit more disciplined, but your squirtle is pretty damn clever," he stated as they shook hands. "If you get a training plan together, I'm sure you could easily take on the gyms.

"Thanks Frank. That was hard man," Cody replied, but his mind was elsewhere now. Mostly focused on the stew that was still cooking.

* * *

"You got a lot better over one week," Heather commented as she and Cody were slurping at the stew that was now being dished out. "Your squirtle seems to be very into battling now." Squirtle was now leaning against his trainers leg, slurping bits of the mysterious soup from Cody's spoon when he lowered it to his level. Mars, Feathers, and Nadine, Heather's newest pokemon, a female Nidoran, were a few feet away searching for fallen scraps of food while Somnos snored some as he slept on Heather's lap. He always seemed to be sleeping.

"Yeah, we've been battling hikers nonstop all week, and he's grown a lot tougher. I guess absorbing all those hits has turned him into a little fortress of energy." Suddenly, Cody's eyes lit up. "You know… that sounds like a good nickname, eh?"

Heather shook her head. "Nah, it sounds too much like Foretress."

"Well, what are other words for fortress?"

"Am I your dictionary now?… There's castle, stronghold, bastion-"

"Stop!" Cody interrupted. "I kind of like the name Bastion. I mean, it sounds awesome and it's fitting for a Blastoise, don't you think?"

"I don't know Cody, it sounds to much like bastard. Do you really want that sort of resemblance?" Heather asked, but she was answered with a nod.

"Considering how often he likes to spray me with water, I would say Bastard is a pretty good nickname too."

Heather laughed at this. "You're hilarious Cody."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that funny," he responded modestly, but then he began to laugh too. Squirtle looked up at him as if he knew he was the subject of the conversation. After that, the two of them drank the stew in silence. In the midst of his slurps, he took quick glances at Heather. She looked very attractive with the light of the fire creating light patterns on her face. But after doing this a few times she caught him staring at her. Both suddenly turned their heads away in embarrassment. After a minute, Cody spoke again.

"So how did you meet up with Frank?"

"Me? Well, he came across me when I was training Nadine today. He told me that it was unsafe for a girl to be alone out here. At first I thought that he was just being chauvinistic, but I guess he makes some sense," she said as she stared into the fire. It was still burning brightly under the stew pot.

"He's right. Nobody should be out here alone. I just learned that today," Cody replied as Mars jumped out of the earth onto his lap. He began to run an old comb through his pokemon's knotted fur.

Heather turned her face to him. "What happened?" she asked curiously.

"I almost got mugged by these older guys and their houndoom. If it hadn't been for Fran-"

"What!" Heather exclaimed, half in shock, half in anger. A few trainers turned their heads, but turned back seconds later. "What the hell? You're okay right?"

"Whoa chill, I'm fine," Cody answered her in a half laugh. The way her facial expressions had suddenly changed was amusing.

"But what if you run into them again? Or other guys like them? Did you tell your parents?"

"Would you?" Cody asked in a flat tone. "It took me so long to convince my folks to let me get out here. You obviously just convinced yours. I mean, you wouldn't want it all to end after just one incident, right?"

"Right…" Heather replied in a calmer tone. Her eyes were no longer in contact with his. "About that… I did what you told me to try. You know… talking with my parents again… they said no, so I… I kinda took off anyway." As she ended her confession, she looked up with a guilty smile. But Cody returned it with a look of shock.

"Wait… you left without their consent?" he asked. "Please don't tell me I convinced you to do this. I didn't want to-"

"No, I just felt like waiting any longer would suck," she replied. "Though you did give me that boost. But I left a note and everything. I just know that when I finally do get reception on my cell, I'm going to get a lot of angry voice messages from my parents."

"And you seemed like such a sweet little girl," Cody teased. "But I don't know what to think of you anymore now that you're running away from home."

"Oh please, you don't know the half of it," she giggled. They both started laughing again before they continued chatting. He felt a weird warmth talking with her. She was friendly, pretty, and a little bit crazy. It felt as though they knew each other for years.

The fire soon fell to glowing coals, and people began to sleep while several trainers taking the first watch. Frank had told the group that he would tell them more about the organization in the morning, and he too had fallen asleep. After setting up his sleeping bag and letting his pokemon crawl in with him, he drifted off to sleep…

* * *

_He awoke again in a dark room with no light or sound, far away from the camp where he had slept. Why was he here?_

_"Am I dreaming?" he asked out loud. No, it couldn't be. He could never tell he was dreaming until he woke up. Was this a lucid dream? He tried to imagine an hamburger to appear in front of him. Nothing. He felt stupid for trying. This was too strange. Suddenly, he heard movement behind him. He jolted around. Nothing was there. But then two hands clutched his shoulders. Their grip was tight. Paralyzed with fear, all he heard was a deep whisper. "I finally found you!"_

"NO!" Cody sat up in his sleeping bag with a sudden jolt. Sweat was dripping down his face. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm himself. It was only a bad dream. His pokemon were awake now, but they drifted back to sleep when they saw that nothing was wrong. Cody looked around the sleeping site to see that nobody was awake. Apparently, whoever was taking the current watch was asleep.

"I need to clear my head," he thought to himself as he stood up and walked around, careful not to step on anyone as he staggered around the site. But suddenly, he tripped over a large backpack. Sitting up, he realized it belonged to Frank, who was snoring like an Ursaring in hibernation. Fumbling in the darkness, he began to put the spilled contents of the pack back into their proper places. But as he was doing this, he felt something round in the pack. It didn't feel like it belonged there. Curiosity suddenly sprung up in his mind.

"Do I really want to be snooping through his stuff?" he asked himself, but without waiting for his conscious to answer, he pulled the object in question out of the bag. It was a helmet. Sort of like a motorcycle helmet, but not quite the same. It had odd ridges on it. And the visor looked an awful lot like the visors on…

Cody covered his mouth to silence his gasp. It couldn't be… Not here…

"I have to get out of here," he thought, and he scrambled back to his place as quickly and silently as possible. Calling his pokemon back to their balls, he packed up all of his supplies and sleeping bag before pulling out his flashlight. He'd need it in the dark. But as he started to leave the camp, he looked back at the sleeping Heather. "I can't leave her here."

He fell to his knees and shook her lightly. "Heather, wake up," he whispered urgently.

"Ugh… what is it Cody? I was having a good dream." She sighed groggily.

"Yeah, lucky you. Look, I need to show you something but you can't make a sound. Okay?"

"Can it wait until morning?" she sighed.

"No. Come with me." He grabbed her wrist and almost dragged her over to Frank's pack since she wouldn't walk. "Look at that," he said, pointing to the helmet.

Heather blinked. "It looks like a Cipher helmet."

"It IS a Cipher helmet. We got to get out of here now! Pack your stuff and let's run." He told her with fright in his voice. Though she was waking up now, she still seemed too calm.

"Wait, Cody… There has to be a good reason for this. Frank seems like such a good guy. I mean, he saved your life and all. Maybe this is a mistake."

"Maybe your right…" Cody replied. His voice was less harsh. "But I'm not going to risk this. You saw all that stuff the Cipher did in Orre. They're ****ing psychos. We need to leave before we find out what kind of organization he's getting us into."

"Okay," Heather said reluctantly. "But what about everybody else? Should we wake them too?"

Cody looked around at the other trainers. He wanted to help them, but he knew he couldn't. "Look, I'm afraid if we try to show them all, we'll make too much noise. We need to hope they figure things out on their own."

"Cody, if your right about this… we can't just leave them here." She had fear in her eyes now. Cody sighed, but placed the helmet on the ground.

"Hopefully they'll see it in the morning. It's all we can safely do for now."

"But what if they don't? What if he wakes up first and knows that we did it if we're gone?" she whispered in panic.

"I don't know… we'll be long gone. Now get your stuff packed. We have to leave before anybody else wakes up.

In a few minutes, the two of them were running through the forest behind a flashlight, holding hands so they wouldn't get separated. They did this for about an hour before they reached a highway overpass. It wasn't the safest place to hide, but it would be the smartest place, since they would be able to find out where they were in the morning. In fear that danger could come at any moment, the two didn't set up their sleeping bags, but fell asleep on the ground, ready to run at any moment's notice. Both of them were too tired to stand watch.

* * *

**Do you like this story? Do you want to know what happens next? Then please review and tell your friends or whatever you do around here to get noticed. Hope to get another chapter up next week if I feel like it, so until then****…**


	6. Chapter 6: Playing by the Rules

**Thanks for the reviews. I also see a lot of story subscriptions coming in, which is awesome. Sorry it took me a bit of time to get this chapter up, but I've been busy. College starts in a month, and I'm trying to make the most of my time before school starts. I'm glad people are reading though, so now I'm going to take time to respond to some of these reviews.**

_From Fanaticofmanythings_

_WAAAAAAAAAAAAH, PLEASE CONTINUE THE STORY!_

**Will do.**

_The battle was awesome! I love how you came up with strategies and everything!_

_And you didn't make everything all "Mars used Magnitude. It seemed to hurt the_

_enemy." That sucks!_

**This is what I've been trying to avoid. I remember reading something a few years back where it seemed like I was playing the game down to the period. It was to the point of "Bulbasaur used growl, lowering Charmander's attack." It seemed really robotic. Realistically, a pokemon battle should be more in depth than a move by move strike. That's why I try to give logic to all the moves. How does tail whip lower a pokemon's defense? The idea is that the move is a taunt that causes the enemy to let its guard down. It isn't some magical power that causes some mysterious stat to lower.**

_Anyway, aaaaaaaaaaaaw! Cody likes Heather, Cody likes Heather, XD XD XD What_

_about that one girl he knew in his hometown? (Yes I can't remember her name,_

_LOL)_

**Angie. And to be truthful, at the moment, she and Paul only exist as minor characters. Reason being, I wanted to create a background for Cody rather than him being a generic protagonist like what you see in the games. As for Heather, this story is not primarily a romantic one, but she will be a vital character.**

_"I finally found you!" OMG LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS MOMENT! XD_

**lol, I completely forgot she says this. I loved that game though. Mostly because I'm terrible at puzzles and that was the only LoZ game I could beat.**

_Anyway, O_O WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS? They're gonna be tricked! The mugging was a_

_set-up! THEY'RE GONNA BE BAD PEOPLE BECAUSE OF FRANK!_

_THEY'RE GONNA DIE!_

**Lots of capitals. It will all be explained****… later.**

_PokeSpe (yes I just completely changed that topic XD) is short for Pokemon_

_Special, which is a manga. *nodnod* It's really hard to sum it up, so go to_

_Onemanga . com (take out the spaces) and search Pokemon Special! Browse_

_around, you'll find it, READ READ READ!_

**I'll look into it later when I get time. Btw, about your last review, I do have a lot of errors in my typing. I'm a very sloppy writer, and I usually proof my chapters 2 or 3 times before posting them. Some mistakes elude me, but I try to not let this happen.**

_From MagikarpMaster_

_Great story thus far, just wanted you to know I'm reading._

**Thanks. Good to know I'm getting an audience.**

**Anyway, chapter 6. My vision of this story is becoming clearer. My biggest worry right now is figuring out how to fill time between gyms without creating filler. It's going to be hard creating relevant chapters, but I'll figure something out. I already have some angles, so I'll work with those.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Playing by the Rules**

The sound of passing cars greeted Cody as he groggily woke from sleep. Trying to focus his vision, he looked around the location, trying to remember where he was and what had happened the night before. He remembered he was running because of something Frank had. It was the helmet? Yes, that had to be it. It all seemed like a distant dream now.

The word "dream" made him shiver when he thought of it. It brought back the image he dreamed about that caused him to wake up that night. Something felt so wrong with that dream. He had nightmares before, but nothing that bad. Nothing he had dreamt in the past seemed that real.

A small sigh came from the girl who was still sleeping on the ground. Suddenly, Cody remembered that he had brought Heather with him. The situation seemed like something out of the cinema. Getting lost in the woods with a girl seemed like the kind of thing a movie would be made of. It seemed very strange.

A small pond was sitting a hundred yards or so away from where they camped, so Cody released his pokemon, both who stretched after being stuck in their pokeballs all night.

"Okay Bastion, Mars, there's water over there, so go get a drink and look for food, because we got a lot of ground to cover today." After he finished talking, Mars popped under the ground and reemerged ten seconds later next to the pool. However, his squirtle kept staring at him in confusion. It only took Cody a few seconds to realize why his pokemon was confused.

"Oh yeah. You're name is Bastion now. Wear it with pride little guy," he said, as he reached down to pet the tiny turtle. Bastion gave him a weird look, but eventually ran off to the pond.

"So you're sticking with Bastion I see," Heather said with a yawn as she stretched. She promptly released her pokemon who also took off towards the water.

"Yeah, I like it," Cody said as he sat down next to her and opened up his pack. He felt too weak to go looking for food, so he pulled out two power bars. He offered one to Heather, but she refused, as she had her own food. "You sleep well?"

"Considering that we ran for an hour in the middle of the night before sleeping on the ground, I guess I slept alright," Heather replied with a small amount of spite in her voice.

"You could have used your sleeping bag," Cody said, but she shook her head.

"I was dead when we got down here. But now I have a kink in my neck. At least I filled up my canteen last night so we don't have to make a fire yet." After stating all of this, a smile reappeared on her face. "I'm sorry Cody, I'm not really a morning person. And I do think we made the right decision to-"

"Don't worry about it. I'd be pissed too." After finishing up the power bar, he pulled out his canteen and a pill bottle, popping a pill into his hand before swallowing it with a sip of water.

"What's that for?" Heather questioned as Cody gulped.

"Allergy medication," he lied. "I'm allergic to pollen."

"Oh that must suck."

"Yeah, I was going to catch a… a roselia on my way here, but then I remembered… my uh…" he trailed off. He was a terrible liar and the longer he talked, the more it would show. "So yeah, we should take off soon. The longer we stick around, the more nervous I feel about…"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," she agreed. It only took the two of them a minute or so to pack up before gathering their pokemon and heading north into the forest.

* * *

Travelling with another person made all the walking less boring. Even after walking for five hours, Cody still had a lot of energy to talk with Heather. It seemed strange to him how comfortable he was talking with her. Typically he would be slightly more reserved talking with a girl he didn't know as well, but she seemed different.

As the talked, Mars made himself busy by playfully chasing Nadine farther down the path. Bastion was walking at Cody's side, looking up at the two trainers as if he could understand what they were saying. Feathers was flying, circling above the two of them. Somnos was also outside of his pokeball, but he couldn't stay out too long without water, being that he couldn't stay outside very long without his skin drying up. The group eventually made it to a large field with no definite path. Clusters of trees and small mountains were off in the distance.

"That's a pretty funny story, but I can top it," Heather said amongst her giggling. Cody had just got done telling about the first double battle he had when Mars was still fresh and he thought he was supposed to attack Bastion and not the enemy pokemon.

"Try me," he challenged.

"Okay, so it's my first day out, right? I'm walking out in the woods near Mt. Fiyero, which used to be an active volcano. Anyway, I see these red berries and I go to pick one, but suddenly a bunch of torkoal come out to chase me away from their territory. But they were so slow. I mean, practically only ten feet a minute. It was hilarious. I actually started walking backwards slowly just to tease them."

"Wow, you really are a mean girl," Cody said laughing.

"Yeah, but that was the only time I didn't have any difficulty running from a pokemon."

"Yeah, especially tailow. Those things are obnoxious," he responded. "After outrunning those, you can outrun anything." He looked across the field to see a Rapidash grazing. Part of him wanted to catch it, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fight it. "Speaking of running away, do you think the other trainers were able to get out before Frank could do anything?"

"I don't know," Heather replied coldly. The laughter was gone now. "But we don't even know if he could do anything. Many of those trainers had at least two pokemon, and he only had two too. He would have been outnumbered."

"Maybe," Cody replied. "But I remember what he told me. Poor trainers getting involved in crime. A lot of those trainers looked poor. That was probably what he was recruiting for. Trying to bring in poorer trainers."

"But why here? If he is in the Cipher, what could they possibly do in Skitrex? I mean, wasn't there a law a few months back prohibiting the use of shadow pokemon in this region?

"Yes, but they may not be doing shadow pokemon stuff," Cody answered. "He did tell me that his organization does charity work. It sounds like a good cover story I guess. Maybe they do charity work to cover up their real intentions, but… I don't get it. This is confusing me."

"Me too. I'm just glad we're out," Heather said, now with a smile. The two walked without speaking for a few minutes before she started up again. "So why did you choose me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you choose to wake me up and get me away from Frank? There were other trainers you could have just as easily helped, or you could have been safer by yourself. Why did you choose to help me?"

Cody felt his face reddening, but he worked to keep his expression cool. "Because I knew you," he answered stupidly. Heather laughed.

"Cody, I only met you once for an hour back in Kindle before that night."

"Yeah I know, but that's more reason to wake you over anybody else."

"Okay, but we still only knew each other on an acquaintance level. It's not like we had been hanging out for weeks or anything."

"Well then," Cody began with a grin. "Would you have rather me not wake you at all and leave you to deal with Frank?"

"No, I…"

"Well I think you would have looked great in one of those helmets."

"Very funny." She paused. "I just wanted to know your motivation. That's all." Another silence came about before Cody finally said anything.

"I was going to leave by myself," Cody replied with an odd quietness in his voice. "But I felt like it would be wrong to leave you there. It just didn't sit right with me. That's all I can say."

An awkward silence followed. After a few seconds, the two looked at each other at the same time. Heather was smiling mischievously. "Well thank you then," she said in almost a whisper. Something about the moment was very unsettling for him. Being alone in the middle of nowhere with this girl was growing from friendly to something more.

"I really need a distraction," he thought to himself, and he saw it the moment he turned his head. Up in a clearing was a small greenish pokemon chewing on an aspear berry. It had a horn on its head, a spiky tail, and odd black markings under its eyes and its lower torso near its read colored belly.

"Is… that a larvitar?" Heather asked, but Cody was already ahead of her. He remembered that larvitar were rock type pokemon, and this was a perfect opportunity to catch one.

"Yup. Dibs!" And he knelt down to Mars and whispered, "You're up." The diglett already knew what to do. With a confident squeak, he burrow charged up to the larvitar. But before it even got close the larvitar looked up at his attacker and let out a yelp before running away from the charge.

"Seriously Cody? Dibs? What are we, five?" Heather joked, but Cody looked on at his target. It was still running from Mars, but it wouldn't last long. Mars was much faster and it wouldn't be long before he caught up.

"Yeah, I called it because I still need a third pokemon," he replied. Mars had finally knocked the larvitar with a strong dig, causing it to trip. He tried to follow the move up with a scratch, but on contact, it squeaked in pain as its nails made a shrill noise against the target's rocky hide. The little reptile could have taken this moment to strike Mars, but it continued to run. The diglett managed to overcome its pain and began to spin like a top in the earth, causing the immediate ground to shake. This light tremor began to force the larvitar to tumble back in Mar's direction. He was becoming more efficient with using arena trap.

"I wish it would fight back though," Cody said in a focused voice as Mars returned to the chase. "The little guy is kind of cowar-" He stopped suddenly as he felt his phone vibrate. "Wow, I'm actually getting reception?" he asked himself. He pulled out his phone and tossed it to Heather without looking. "Tell me who's calling."

"It says 'Mom,' " Heather shouted to him over the sounds of the larvitar's yelps. "Do you want me to answer it?"

"No, no, just let it ring. I'll call her back when I'm done." But it didn't look like the fight would last much longer. The rocky reptile was staggering now, wheezing as it tried to dodge the frenzied mole.

"Mars, you're working too slow! Magnitude!" and with a raged squeak, the mole caused a violent tremor. The shaking made the larvitar fall on its face. It tried to regain its footing, but Mars was too quick. With a well placed dig, he sent the reptile flying before it landed with a thud. Cody pulled out an empty pokeball and chucked it at the spawling monster. After a flash of light, the pokeball wiggled a few times before it sat still.

"That was way too easy," Cody said with a smile as he picked up the pokeball, giving a piece of kibble to Mars, who looked as though he wanted more from the fight.

"Yeah, you lucked out by getting a skittish pokemon like that," Heather stated. She handed Cody's phone back to him. "Hopefully he grows out of it when he gets older." Images began to run through Cody's mind of a tyranitar being too scared to fight. His mind then focused on the idea of having a tyranitar. But the possibility of that happening was years away. But he was drawn out of his imagination when he saw something trot past him. It looked like the rapidash they had seen earlier, only smaller.

"Hey, look at the ponyt-"

"Dibs!" Heather shouted in almost a squeal as she and Nadine took off in the direction the little horse ran with Feathers following in the air. After a few seconds, he could barely see them in the grass.

"And I'm five?" Cody asked Mars as if he expected his second pokemon to answer. He looked back over to where he left Bastion. He was busy digging through Cody's pack, most likely looking for food. Somnos was close by, waddling around as he frantically searched for his trainer.

"Heather! You forgot something!" Cody yelled out over the grass. No response. He then felt something bumping at his shins. Somnos was nudging him, making a funny sounding whine. "You okay little guy?" But then he remembered that poliwag can't stay out of water too long. He picked the tadpole up and poured some of his canteen water onto the pokemon, which was followed by a sigh of relief from the little poliwog. He then realized that it probably would have been smarter to have Bastion spray Somnos rather than wasting his drinking water, but it was too late now.

He looked back down at Bastion, who had broken into the back up pokechow bag. Giving the squirtle a gentle kick with his foot to get him out of his stuff, Cody used his free hand to open up his cell phone and re-dial his mother. It only rung once before she answered.

"Cody! Oh thank God, I thought you were in some sort of trouble! Why wouldn't you answer your phone!" His mother sounded as though she had seen a ghost.

"Good to hear from you too mom," Cody chuckled as he set Somnos down in the shade.

"This isn't funny Cody! I know that you get bad reception out there, but I would like you to answer your phone when I do manage to reach you. I mean, we've only talked once since you left. Why wouldn't you pick up your phone?"

"I'm sorry mom," Cody sighed. "But I was catching a pokemon. It's not like I could ask it to sit there and wait while I answered the phone."

"Okay. But I'm just worried about you," she responded, her voice softer now. "I feel like I'm the only one worrying about you being out there. Your father only obsesses over what pokemon you're going to catch."

"Well, tell him I caught a larvitar," Cody replied. "He'll be excited about that."

"Well that's nice that you caught a larvi-… larvi-… what is it?"

"Larvitar. Google it. They look really cool."

"Sure Cody," she said with a tired sigh. "Look, I know I'm overbearing, but I'm not comfortable with you being alone out there. I remember some of the horror stories that Derrick told-"

"I'm not alone anymore," Cody interrupted before she could finish. "I'm travelling with this girl I met near in Kindle City."

"Wait, what?" Her tone changed to one of nervousness.

"Yeah, this girl I met, Heather. We met in Kindle and we met up again in the woods. We've been travelling together since this morning." He stopped talking to wait for some response, but it didn't come for a few seconds.

"Cody, you're going to be mad at me for telling you this, but I… I didn't think about telling you this before… no girls."

"Mom, are you serious!" Cody lashed out suddenly. "I never even gave indication that I-"

"Cody, I don't care," she said, cutting him off. "No girls. Look, I can accept you being a trainer, but can you not get involved with women?"

"Who said anything about 'getting involved'? We're just friends! And besides, wouldn't it be safer to travel with somebody than alone?"

"Cody, I do not want you to be getting into any emotional relationships while you're out on your own! I know how you think. You let that sort of thing mess with your thinking. Remember you and Angie?"

Cody groaned at the mention of his friend's name. "Mom, I never told you anything about that. Now you're just making assum-"

"I know enough!" She retorted. "Do you realize how much I'm afraid you're not going to come back! That something might happen? Can you please just listen to me for this one little request!" There was another silence.

"Okay mom… No girls, I get it, alright?" Cody said solemnly. "But I'm not going to bar travelling with them. That's fair, right?"

"You just don't… okay. Fine. I love you Cody." She suddenly hung up. Her last words seemed very forced.

"I can't believe this shit!" Cody burst as he threw his phone. It bounced off the ground and into a patch of soft grass. His pokemon stared curiously at him for a moment, wondering why he had shouted. After a deep breath, he went to pick up his cellular device. Luckily, it didn't break upon impact.

"Well that was a big waste of breath!" Heather said as she reemerged from the grass. Feathers was resting on her shoulder, and Nadine looked pooped from all of the running she must have done.

"I assume you didn't catch it then?" Cody asked. Heather shook her head.

"Nope, it was too fast. We chased it for a minute before I realized that none of us were fast enough. I don't know how you can catch something that swift."

"You'd probably have to ambush one while it's eating or sleeping. Or you would need a much faster pokemon to chase it down. " Cody replied thoughtfully. Somnos was now nudging his trainer's leg, happy that she had returned.

"So did you call your mom back?" Heather asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, she just wanted to know how I was doing. We didn't talk long though. I don't really get along with her that well. She started arguing with me about how I should… be careful and shit." He stopped himself before he told her what they really talked about. It seemed like an incredibly awkward thing to discuss.

"Oh… that sucks," Heather replied softly. "I get along with my parents pretty well, but I don't think I will anymore after taking off." With that, she took out her phone and looked at it with a frown. "I don't know how you're getting any bars out here.

"I guess I'm just really unlucky," Cody answered with a grin. "Hey, I'm going to let the larvitar out, so stand back just in case it actually decides to fight. He pulled the ball off of his belt and opened it into a clear spot. The lizard flashed onto the ground, its hands over its head as it crouched in fear. Pulling a piece of pokechow from his pocket, Cody knelt down with his the treat in his hand. "Hey little dude, you want some food?" he asked sweetly. The larvitar opened its eyes and looked at Cody. With panic, he gave a loud scream and bolted the opposite direction.

"Son of a- Hey Heather, make sure my pokemon don't go anywhere!" Cody yelled as he chased the little pokemon down the field. It took a sharp turn and headed the opposite direction back to the starting point. Bastion and Mars were ready to intercept it, but Cody waved them off. "I have to do this myself!"

"Cody, just call it back to the pokeball!" Heather called out as he passed her.

"No way," he returned. "I need to teach him who's boss!" The larvitar was slower now as his pace dropped, and with his target in range, Cody leapt and landed on his pokemon, crying out in pain upon landing. The pokemon's skin was super hard. The larvitar tried to wiggle free, but he couldn't under Cody's weight, so it ceased after a few seconds. Rearing in pain, Cody stood up with his new partner in his arms. It looked afraid, but it was too scared and too tired to flee now.

"Are you okay? Why'd you scream like that?" Heather asked as she caught up with him.

"Have you ever tried tackling a boulder?" Cody asked as he winced from the shock. He felt bruises on his skin from where he had hit the larvitar in the fall. "I just hope I can convince him to battle. He seems to be afraid of anything that moves."

"Aren't you going to make it fight anyway?" Heather questioned as she tried to pet the lizard, but he began to fidget as she got close.

"I don't like the idea of making him fight," Cody answered flatly. "That's just cruel. I'm just lucky that Bastion and Mars love to fight, but if this larvitar doesn't…" he paused as he put the larvitar on the ground. Bastion approached to greet the new team member, but it got nervous and hid behind Cody's leg. "Well… I might have a problem with the first gym."

* * *

The next five days flew by, though nothing spectacular happened. Just more failed attempts at catching pokemon and more battles in between. Cody was experiencing difficulties training Larvitar. He was too afraid to battle properly, and it had yet to win a fight. On top of that, he was afraid of just about everybody and everything else except for Cody and Bastion (who had been able to build trust with his fellow teammate.) But his trainer had faith that things may improve.

"Well, here we are," Heather said cheerily. "I can't wait to get to a shower. I hate washing my hair in creek water." Despite the happiness in her voice, she was obviously tired. Cody was too, but it wasn't as bad as the first week when he crossed to Kindle. The trips were already getting easier.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Cody replied as they spotted the pokemon center. Lahonburg wasn't big enough to be a full scale city, but there were quite a few people there. Most of them were trainers who were passing through. Some of them were probably headed north east to Tempest Valley as well. Others were probably headed west to other cities with other gyms.

"Oh please Cody, guys with short hair have no problems compared to girls. You can probably get away with using whatever hair products you want, but I have to use specific products to keep mine in order."

"Whoa, I'm just saying I like a nice warm shower too," Cody said, viewing Heathers hair. It still looked pretty good to him, even if it wasn't perfect. "Your hair looks fine by the way."

"What, are you kidding me? It's messy as hell! Boys just don't know anything about hair. Go figure."

"Whatever," he said as they entered the pokemon center. There were quite a few trainers, so it looked like they'd be staying at a hotel that night.

"STORM!" Cody jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. He turned around to see who called him. It was Laurence. He was sitting on a nearby couch.

"Laurence? What the- I thought you'd be in Tempest by now!" By now the two of them were standing next to each other. Cody extended his hand and was quickly pulled into a few second hug.

"Well, yeah man, but the waiting list was so long, like two weeks. There were a million trainers there trying to get the badge and all the hotels were booked up. I decided to come down here to train until it clears up. It's a six day hike, so I'm leaving tonight." Laurence looked really tan as if he hadn't used any sun block on his journey. He also seemed slightly buffer, but that may have been Cody's imagination.

"Tonight? Geeze man, you can't wait until tomorrow? I want to battle you! I just caught a larvitar and I need to train-"

"Whoa, a larvitar? For serious?" He looked genuinely shocked.

"Yeah. I'll show him to you when we hand my pokemon in."

"Okay, I got to pick my pokemon up anyway, so… by the way, who's your friend?" Cody was lost for a moment, but then he turned around to see that Heather had been standing behind them silently for the past minute.

"Oh, this is-"

"Heather. Heather Landon," she interrupted with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Cody's mentioned you a few times."

"Oh he has? I wasn't aware I was that popular," Laurence answered with false modesty. "Well it's good to meet you Heather," he said with a handshake. "So you two are travelling together?"

"Well, we have been so far," Heather responded before Cody could open his mouth.

"That's adorable," Laurence replied. He was obviously trying to annoy Cody, but he wouldn't let it show. "So tell me kids, how's it been?"

The three chatted for a few minutes while they waited in line for assistance. Most of the talking was coming from Laurence, who dominated the conversation with stories of his misadventures which seemed much more interesting than what Cody or Heather were saying. Neither of them brought up Frank or the mugging or anything like that which could have topped some of Laurence's stories. Both of them decided to keep that on the down low, though they never discussed it.

"… and that's how we beat an entire flock of spearow." Laurence said with pride about his pokemon and their success. "You should have seen Flex tossing those tree stumps. It was prime."

"That does sound cool," Cody said as he tried to think of a better story that he could tell.

"Hey, can you guys hold my spot?" Heather asked with a pinch of dread in her words. "I just received all those angry phone messages from my parents. I'm probably going to have to call them back now."

"Sure thing. Good luck with that," Cody replied with a weak smile. But after she left, the conversation seemed to have died. It was strange, being that she barely said anything the whole time, but now there was silence between Cody and Laurence…

Until Laurence cleared his throat and asked quietly, "So… Cody… are you hitting that?"

"What?"

"Are. You. Hitting. That." Laurence repeated, louder this time, causing other people in line to look at them. But Laurence didn't care at all.

"Shut up," Cody grunted, feeling nervous around the stares they were getting.

"Your belligerence is telling me 'no.' I demand answers. That girl is an eight. Maybe a nine on a good day. The bottom line is, you're traveling with an eight and you aren't doing anything with her?"

"Okay, first of all, we were travelling together by necessity," Cody retorted. "We felt like there was danger in this group we were with, so we ran away together and we haven't split up out of fear."

"So you ran away together in the woods?" Laurence teased. "Aww, it's just like 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' except there aren't any fairies, and you don't have the head of an ass… Oh wait, never mind." He started laughing.

"Do you want your teeth knocked in?" Cody whispered angrily as he looked towards the outside door. Heather could reappear at any minute. "Look, don't you think I'm kind of young to be 'hitting it?' We're only fourteen. I mean, sure, lots of people our age our probably doing it, but I've only known this girl for a week. For our age, that seems a little fast, eh?"

"Whatever Cody," Laurence sighed. "But seriously, are you doing anything with her? I bet she likes you if she's willing to put up with you and your weirdness for an entire week. And I can tell you like her just by the way you look at here. You are so painfully easy to read."

Silence. The Cody opened his mouth again. "Okay, you're right. I do like her."

"I knew it!" Laurence said out loud, again gathering more stares.

"But I don't think I can do anything about that. There are… issues surrounding the situation."

"Like…" Laurence was searching for an answer, but suddenly an example came to him. "Oh Cody, please for the love of Arceus don't tell me this is about Angie."

"Why do you think my problems go back to her?" Cody lashed back, though quietly around the other people. "We were in the 8th grade! I've put that behind me." He stopped talking for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Again, I've only known her for a little bit and I want to get to know her more… but it has to do with my mother."

"What about her?" Laurence asked, his voice growing more serious.

"Well, for one… I really feel bad about the way I treated her before I left. I feel like a brat for how I reacted. But also, I was talking with her on the phone a few days ago and she told me 'no girls.' And because of the hell I put her through, I feel like I should listen to her."

"Well…" Laurence looked stumped in the seriousness. "I know you want to please everybody Cody, but think about what you want. You want adventure, right? Your mom doesn't have to know if you are with this girl."

"Yeah, I know, but-"

"And this, of all things, is bothering you? You've disobeyed your folks a million times. Remember when we launched those fireworks off your roof?"

"Yeah, that was pretty epic," Cody said as he smiled at the memory.

"Remember when we snuck out to that concert, only to be apprehended by the police?"

"Okay Laurence, I get-"

"Remember when we went into the forest and you caught a squirtle despite your mom telling you that you weren't-"

"Okay Laurence, I get it, I'm a terrible child," Cody laughed. The mood was brought up now. "I'll think about it then."

"Atta boy," he cheered with a slap on the back. Just as they finished their conversation, Heather rejoined them. She looked a little steamed, but she acted as though nothing happened. Eventually, they reached the counter and handed their pokemon in. Cody was a bit worried about how Larvitar would react to the nurses, but he figured the little pokemon would have to deal with it if he wanted to feel better. Laurence also picked up his pokeballs and pulled Cody and Heather over to an empty space.

"I'm going to be showing off now," he said as he opened the first ball. Flex stood before them, looking even stronger than he did a few weeks ago. He got excited to see Cody again. "He could probably sweep the first tier gym by himself even if they are flying types," Laurence stated proudly.

He opened his second pokeball to reveal a shellos. The amphibious pokemon was a deep shade of purple. It had a smooth back and spikey horns on its head.

"I caught Shelly on my second day. She's a real sweetheart, but she's no slouch in battle." He opened his final pokeball. A little squirrel with blue and white fur emerged, and it scurried up his trainer's side to sit on his shoulder.

"Don't be fooled," he warned as the little pachirisu squeaked. "Bolt is aggressive as any poochyena." At the end of this line, the little squirrel growled as bits of electricity sparked on his fur.

"So I'm going to have my work cut out for me," Cody said after Laurence's show and tell. It would be hard fighting Flex alone, being that it had already been trained for six months. But his other two pokemon looked tough too.

"You bet you will!" Laurence replied with gusto. "Three years baby, and I'll be winning the tournament. Then the Elite Four. Just try to stop me Cody."

"Oh I will," he challenged back. "Because when you make it to the Elite Four, I'll already be the champ."

"Keep dreaming son," Laurence laughed back as if he had told a bad joke. "Hey, I'd love to stay and chat, but I gotta head out."

"Why man? You got time. You want to get something to eat with us?"

"I already ate. I wanna pull an all nighter and see if I can find some dark pokemon."

"Well, I guess maybe we'll see you in Tempest then."

"Yeah, maybe dude. We'll battle then. I'll see you guys on the way out, I got to get my stuff first," and after returning his pokemon to their balls, he headed off to the sleeping corridors.

"You're right, he is a really cool guy," Heather said after he left ear shot. "But don't you think we should ask if he wants to travel with us? I mean, you know its dangerous being alone."

"I thought about that, but he wants to travel alone right now for some reason. We can ask him when he comes back, but I doubt he'll agree to… travelling with us?" Her words had suddenly sunk in.

"Yeah… I know we were travelling together because of… you know. And I know we've only known each other for a little bit… But I really like travelling with you. You're pretty funny and overall cool to be around. So…" Her last word began to trail as she searched for the right thing to say.

"Are you asking me out? I mean, to be out with you in the middle of nowhere?" Cody chuckled.

"Yes. If you're cool with that at least. I wouldn't want to impose or-"

"It would never be imposing. I would love to," he interrupted, but he felt like an overly emotional dope now. "As long as your parents were cool with it."

"Oh they aren't," she laughed. "But they're letting me go anyway."

"Great, you wanna get something to eat? We can keep an eye out for Laurence and say goodbye to him before he leaves."

"Sure, let's go."

The two of them left for the food court, but Cody's mind was stuck on what just happened. A stupid smile was stuck on his face, and he would have felt awkward if people were looking at him.

"You see, she likes you. She asked you to travel with her. It's so obvious."

"Wow," Cody thought to himself. "The voice in my head is starting to sound like Laurence."

* * *

**Who here has seen the new pokemon that got leaked? I gotta say****… I really don't like some of them. To be honest, I think Nintendo is just milking it now. I mean, 3 vs. 3 battles? 2 vs. 2 was a fine addition, but 3 vs. 3 battles are kind of excessive. Not to mention that the legendaries look more like digimon than pokemon. That being said, when we start getting English names, I guess a few of them will show up in this story, even though I focused my ideas around the first four generations.**

**But on a different note, updates will be decreasing in the coming months. College will probably allow very little time to write. Sorry, but priorities will exist…**

**Also, I'm considering looking for an editor. Somebody I can send new chapters to before they are published so my mistakes and misunderstandings are cleared up. Said person would be given credit as editor in my work. If you are interested, private message me or something. Review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Redefined Destiny

** Hey guys, for any of you who favorited this, I'm sorry it's been so long. College is very time consuming. If I can get a bigger audience, I may be able to update more often. I should also note that I caved and put "Romance" as a genre. I figure I may attract more of an audience that way, since lets face it: Romance dominates this website. Again though, it is not the center point of this story, though there will be quite a bit later on. Just remember, it's about the pokemon.**

** Also, I noticed some things in the last chapters. In Chapter 5, all the M's in the word Mohawk mysteriously disappeared. Also, I used to divide sections via - - - but they seem to disappear in publishing…sorry for any confusion.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Redefined Destiny**

The raticate jumped back to avoid Nadine's tackle, and leapt forward to try and bite it with its oversized fangs. But the little rabbit quickly curled into a ball, causing the rat to hit her poisonous spines, causing him to reel in confusion. Meanwhile, Larvitar was dancing around the spearow's assault, barely getting any room to attack. It had been five days since Cody and Heather had left Lahonburg and his larvitar had still yet to win a fight. But maybe this would be his lucky day.

The double battle was only a minute old, and it was already intense. It was two pokemon per trainer, and everybody was on their first monster, except for the younger trainer on the opposing team. Cody's and Heather's opponents were two traveling trainers, one, a young trainer of about eleven years, the other was a little bit older. The younger trainers zigzagoon was taken out rather quickly after it was poisoned by Nadine, but his raticate was much faster and smarter. But the older trainers last pokemon had yet to appear, and judging by the spearow's battle skills, Cody was afraid for what was waiting to fight.

"Larvitar, you need to be more aggressive. That spearow is too fast to play defensively. Tackle!" The lizard finally found time to launch himself at the bird, but he only half hit the target. The spearow followed the miss with a furious attack of pecks, causing Larvitar to curl into a ball. Meanwhile, Nadine was still struggling with the raticate, who seemed to be getting faster. They would need to find a way to take down the rat and soon, since neither of Heather's remaining pokemon would be able to cope with the rodent's aggressiveness.

"Hey Cody, can we have our- Nadine! You can't stand still in this fight- can we have our pokemon switch targets for now? I don't think Nadine can handle this raticate."

"Larvitar, you can't attack that spearow if you stay curled up like that all day!" He turned his attention to Heather for several seconds. "And you think Larvitar would do any better right now?"

"He's a rock type, so… yeah!" Beads of sweat were running down her face now. She got more hyped up over battles than he did.

"So! That doesn't stop that spearow from dominating him!"  
"Look, I know Nadine can beat the spearow. Just see if Larvitar can at least hold off the raticate for now!"

"Oh, we can do better than that!" Larvitar was up now, and was blocking the spearows pecks with his arms. He was getting better at holding off the birds attacks, but it wouldn't last long. Suddenly, Nadine leapt out and landed a direct tackle on the bird. Raticate tried to follow, but Larvitar had a brief moment of courage, and he managed to headbutt the passing pokemon. But this only angered the feral rat even more. At his trainers orders, the rat used quick attack, slamming Larvitar before he could make any sort of defensive action. Larvitar sprung to his feet almost immediately. Something was burning in the little pokemon's eyes. It ran head on at the raticate, trying to gore it with its horn, but the rat scurried out of the way and slammed into the lizard's side. Meanwhile, Nadine was now trying to dodge the spearow's attacks, trying to sting it between the birds swoops.

"Larvitar, he's too fast, you need to grab hold of him to slow him down!" Larvitar reached forward and grabbed the rat by the tail before slamming the oversized rodent into the ground by its tail. But in the daze, the raticate lurched forward and bit down on the lizard. But as the rat's fangs chomped into the lizard's rocky hide, Larvitar let out a loud screech. Both the ratitcate and spearow cringed at the sound. Larvitar then clutched the rat, ran forward with the rodent in tow and slammed the rat onto the ground under his weight.

"Nice running body slam Larvitar!" The moment was cut short as the rat stood back up, only to be shot down by a flying Nadine. The spearow had thrown her with his claws in an attempt to weaken her, but accidentally threw her right at raticate. Both pokemon lay in an unconscious slump. They were returned to their poke balls by their respective trainers.

"Who do you think I should use next?" Heather asked Cody as Larvitar tried to duel with the spearow again, though the fierce little bird was much faster.

"I don't know. I bet Feathers would be better at fighting another bird. Better than Somnos. He'd probably be too slow."

"Okay. You're up Feathers!" The little pidgey burst out of the pokeball and hit the spearow with a full body tackle. Larvitar attempted to break the spearow's fall with his horn, but the bird caught flight at the last second and avoided the horn attack. It tried to attack Feathers again with a furious combination of pecks, but the pidgey was a much faster flyer. She quickly dodged the beak of the spearow and at Heather's command, slammed her entire body into the opposing bird, who had taken a beating. He fell several feet to the ground, and was not able to return to flight. His trainer reluctantly called him back.

"Well, this looks good," Heather said looking over at Cody. "Three versus one. I think we got this one in the bag."

"Do you now?" the remaining opponent said, a smile crossing his face. "You've only seen the tip of the iceberg." With a fluid movement, he tossed his second poke ball, exploding to reveal an armor dressed bird. It had a long beak, matched by an even longer neck.

"Holy…" Cody glared at Heather. "Thanks for the jinx."

The bird, standing at over five feet tall, dwarfed Cody and Heather's pokemon. Its glowing yellow eyes gazed upon its prey, and without warning, it let out a deafening screech. Both Larvitar and Feathers cringed at the sound, and before they could regain focus, the Skarmory began to flap its wings, and flew straight at the targets, only a foot or so off the ground. Feathers managed to fly out of the way, but Larvitar was not so lucky. The bird had launched its entire body at the lizard, and Larvitar was knocked over. Feathers flew in immediately, ramming her body into the Skarmory's side. However, the larger bird didn't even flinch. Turning his attention to the little pigeon, he let out an ear piercing roar, causing her to fly away in fear.

"Cody, it's too strong," Heather gasped as the Skarmory went back to Larvitar, trying to peck it now with its metal beak. "How do we- Feathers! Go back and help!"

"Win? I don't know. We'll figure something out. Larvitar, screech!" His larvitar let out a screech almost as loud as the skarmory's, but the bird didn't seem phased. Instead, it screeched back with even higher decibels. But this pause give Feathers enough time to ram into the bigger bird's neck. He shook in the air, trying to regain balance, but Larvitar managed to stand back up and charge the skarmory with his horn. The iron bird let out a shout of pain as it was forced to stop flying, but it landed on its feet.

"Now's your chance. Tackle!" Larvitar ran full speed at the skarmory with feathers flying at his side, but the bird would have none of it. With a swift motion, it swatted at the pidgey with its wing, and grabbed the larvitar with its beak. Using its neck muscles, it threw him several feet away into the ground, and on its trainers command, charged the larvitar in flight, slashing at him with his silver wing. Larvitar was knocked out cold.

"Good work Larvitar!" Cody returned his pokemon, and grabbed Bastion's ball and released it to reveal the little turtle. He looked up at the steel bird and grunted with disinterest. It was just another target for him.

The skarmory let out another screech, and flew face first towards his enemies. Both Bastion and Feathers managed to dodge the attack, but the steel bird made a wide turn and flew back towards Bastion. The turtle was one step ahead though, and had managed to make a decently high jump before unleashing a downward iron tail onto the bird's wing. A loud clang broke out from the impact, but the skarmory didn't seem shaken, even as Feathers made another failing effort to injure the much larger opponent via a quick attack to the side. Ignoring the smaller bird, the armored one turned around and aimed towards Bastion once more. This time, the turtle sprayed a powerful water gun into the bird's face, but the skarmory cut through it like a knife and struck the squirtle at full force with its chest.

"Cody, our attacks aren't getting through. I don't know how we can beat this thing," Heather gasped. Not receiving a command from her trainer, Feathers flew down to the earth and grabbed a talon full of dirt and tossed it into the skarmory's eyes. The larger bird let out a scream of pain, and began to flap its wings in a frenzy to stay airborne.

"Keep doing that," Cody shot back. Suddenly, he saw opening. The back joint of the skarmory's wing. "Bastion! Aqua jet to the back wing!" he shouted, and crossed his fingers that the turtle would understand his command. Bastion immediately withdrew into his shell and shot a blast of water through the tail opening of his armor. The shell launched at a diagonal into the back part of the skarmory's wing where it merged with its body. The skarmory let out another scream, and crashed into the ground. It stood up and tried to gain flight again, but its wing was too damaged.

"Now's your chance Feathers! Quick attack!" The unarmored bird flew at her grounded opponent, but the skarmory saw her coming and slapped her at full force with its steely wing. The pidgey was knocked into the ground, unable to get up.

"It's all you now, Cody!" Heather sighed as she returned her final pokemon. The skarmory wasted no time in returning to the battle as he charged Bastion on foot. The squirtle was not able to get away, and was picked up by the large bird's beak before being tossed into the air. It all happened so fast that the squirtle crashed into the ground before being able to withdraw into his shell. Bastion got to his feet and sent a stream of bubbles at his foe. It caused the bird to flinch, but he continued charging Bastion, and managed to pick him up once more by the shell's tip. This time however, both Cody and Bastion were ready.

"Water gun!" The turtle shot a force of water strong enough to escape the beak's clutch, and as he flew away from the bird at a horizontal angle, he continued the blast, at the bird's side body. The skarmory fell over onto his side. "Finish him, Bastion!" The turtle ran until he was five feet away from his target before leaping into the air with a flip and landing an iron tail on the side of the birds head, pressuring it against the ground. The skarmory let out one more screech before passing out. Bastion stood back up and let out a grunt before looking at his master for approval. The little turtle could not understand his trainer's amazement for grounding a skarmory. For him, it was just another fight.

* * *

"Well that was a good battle. I think we're getting a lot better," Heather said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her tension seemed to have melted away.

"You mean 'you're' getting better. Nadine did half of the work. I spent most of the battle trying to keep Larvitar from getting eaten alive," he sighed. He released Larvitar from his pokeball to look at his wounds. Nothing too serious. Just a lot of marks from the multiple pecks and bites. He sprayed him over with a potion, and fed him an oran berry for good measure. The lizard seemed relaxed now that the conflict had ended. "You know, maybe I should think about catching a new pokemon soon. I don't know, maybe Larvitar just isn't cut out for battles, and I need three pokemon for gym battles." He pet the little monsters head, and it closed its eyes in a trance.

"We only have a day or so left until we reach Tempest Valley, so you better get on that," Heather replied. She was looking over Feathers now, and after a few seconds of studying her injuries, she took out an ace bandage and began wrapping the birds wing. "To be fair, he has gotten better. But you know, if you wanted to carry more of the load, you could have just used Mars instead."

"Against bird pokemon? Not gonna happen. I don't even know how he's gonna manage the gym." He returned Larvitar to his poke ball, and let Bastion out. After a quick overview, he concluded that the squirtle didn't suffer any injuries. He fed the turtle a berry anyway, and then he stood back up and turned back to Heather. "Besides, Larvitar needs the experience if anything. But I think we did enough work. Bastion took out that skarmory in the end." That had probably been Bastion's biggest win so far. That skarmory was very durable and strong. A feeling of envy grew inside him. "I want one."

"Want one what?" Heather asked. Feathers was now sitting on her shoulder, tweeting happily. The two had began walking again, they'd have a lot of ground to cover to make up for all the battling they had done the other day.

"A skarmory. Think about how cool that would be," he answered, his eyes glazing over as he imagined flying on a skarmory.

"How would you even catch one? They're big and mean. Don't you think it would be hard for you right now?"

"Everybody wants a gyarados, and they're bigger and meaner. But that's why people catch gyarados. It's worth the challenge," he replied thoughtfully.

"Umm, don't people typically catch magikarp and evolve them rather than going straight for a gyarados?" He turned his head to see her giving him a devious 'I just poked a hole in your logic' smile.

"Shut up Heather, it's a good analogy and you know it," he told her with a chuckle.

"Even if it makes absolutely no sense?" she laughed.

"It makes perfect sense!" Without thinking about it, he pulled out his cell phone. No bars, but he had missed a call from his father. He would have to wait until he could get better reception. But it didn't look like that would be happening, since they would be going through a small wooded area up ahead.

* * *

The woods were pretty empty as far as animals went. No humans or pokemon were in sight, though one could hear the occasional song of a roosting tailow. Mars was now out, popping in and out of the ground, nibbling on roots that the part passed. Feathers was still sitting on Heather's shoulder. She wasn't flying since her wing was patched up. She'd probably be able to fly again in the morning. But the walk was boring. Nothing of interest was happening, and Cody had run out of things to say to Heather. He looked over at her. Her face looked extremely soft. He wondered why she never seemed to have any problems with acne. His had been getting slightly worse over the passing weeks. But before he could look away, she suddenly caught him staring at her.

"Are you staring at me?" She asked suspiciously.

"Yes," he answered bluntly.

"Why?"

"Because you're preeeetty," he said in the creepiest voice he could muster. She immediately burst into giggles.

"I'm flattered Cody, but you are such a creeper. And I know you're lying because my ends are splitting. Creek water is a bitch."

"Why do you think I would lie to you? I can't lie. I'm probably the worst liar I know." he said innocently. It was true though.

"Well you're doing a good job at it now."

"You women and your hair and your make up, and your… obsessions with… Johnny Depp," he said using a desperate fill-in name. "This is why men rule the world. We're just more efficient."

"Oh please Cody, if women ruled the world, things would be a lot better."

"Bull shit," Cody shouted in a matter of fact voice, scaring a nearby pidgey out of a tree. "If a woman was president of Skitrex, we'd be going to war every twenty eight days. At least men are consistent."

"I'm calling you out on that one," Heather shot back. "My last boyfriend was very bipolar. He constantly jumped between crazy and emo, it was unbearable."

"But if he actually was bipolar, then he'd be an exception to the rule. But men like me, we're consistent," he said in a matter of fact tone.

"Well when have you ever been consistent about anything? Name one time right now," Heather demanded. This particular banter was getting intense.

Cody stopped talking for a second, and in the creepy voice, he answered, "I still think you're pretty."

"Whatever Cody," she sighed, smile still on her face. "Look, there's a stream. Let's stop for a minute and let the pokemon drink. This hike is getting a little monotonous."

"Sounds good to me," he replied. He released Bastion and Larvitar, who joined in with Heather's pokemon to drink. Somnos seemed to appreciate the stream the most, as he drifted off to sleep in a shallow portion of the creek. Cody sat down on a rock, and began to chew his last piece of jerky. He didn't prepare that well for this specific trip, so he really hoped they did reach Tempest by the next day.

"You can have some of my food when we stop for the night if you want." Heather had taken notice that he was out of food.

"Oh, thanks, but I'll see if I can find some berries or something like that." He let out a sigh and laid back on the stone, resting his head on his hands. The trees over the creek had very peculiar oversized leaves. But after staring at them for several seconds, he realized they weren't leaves at all. They were giving out a small hum.

"Heather! Check out the metapod. There are like, twenty of them." He stood up as she approached. The chrysalises were taking an orange tint now from the setting sun. Some of them seemed to be fidgeting.

"Oh wow…" she said in amazement. "I've never seen so many in one place. Why are they clustered like this?" With out a response, Cody reached for his pokemon handbook and flipped to the page about metapod. After skimming the pages, he found a relevant passage and began to read it out loud.

"While Metapod can survive on their own, they will sometimes cluster in groups as caterpie when making their chrysalises for the protection. While they can move and even attack predators in this stage at evolution, they prefer to remain distant from attackers. After a period of time ranging from one week two several months (depending on the season), the metapod will emerge from their chrysalises as butter free, typically at the beginning of either dusk or dawn." He stopped there and looked back up at the clustered cocoons. "I guess they like this spot, because it would be easy for them to descend for water." He flipped through his book again to the notes page and began to jot down what he saw. "Damn, I wish I had a camera right now."

"Well, maybe its better that only we get to see this. Something that we can remember someday," she said in a soft voice.

"Yeah, maybe your right." He looked back at the pokemon hanging over the creek. All of them were fidgeting now. "I wonder what they are doing ri-"

Suddenly, a loud crack burst through the humming. Cody jolted slightly at the sound. Heather let out a small cry and grabbed Cody's hand. His attention suddenly switched to her hand which was now enclosed in his. "How the hell did that happen?" he thought to himself.

"What's going on?" she asked as she drew his attention back to the metapod. They were all making cracking noises now. One by one, their chrysalises were beginning the crack open. Their own pokemon had now rushed to their trainers sides in fear of the noises. All except Mars, who was squeaking angrily at the metapod for being so distracting.

"I think they're hatching," he answered in a hushed voice. The scene was nerve wracking. What if the pokemon attacked them when they emerged. They would be very outnumbered if that were the case. "Mars, quit doing that!" The mole didn't respond to him.

Suddenly, all the pods began to glow, and multitude of high voices chimed together. All most all at once, all of the metapod emerged as butterfree, leaving their empty shells behind. The butterflies seemed to be laughing like children as they fluttered around the two teens and their pokemon. Their new wings looked shiny as the last light of day reflected on their new bodies.

"Wow, their beautiful," Heather sighed among the singing butterflies.

"Yeah, they are…" Cody replied in amazement. Her hand still in his, he turned his body towards hers and took her other hand in his as they looked up. The bugs didn't seem violent. They were just singing. Cody looked down at their own pokemon. All of which were staring in amazement at the sight. Mars had quit squeaking, and was standing still for once. Even Larvitar was not afraid of the pokemon. He just looked up in awe. The only pokemon who was moving was Feathers, as she hopped around on the ground, trying to join the butterflies in their flight by flapping her injured wing.

Eventually, the butterfree began to fly in different directions into the forest. One quickly flew between Cody and Heather, giving out a soft cry before slowly flying down the path they had originally walked down on. As it began to grow smaller as it flew away, Cody looked back at Heather who had just noticed that they were holding hands. Her face suddenly reddened as an embarrassed smile crossed her face. But the two of them were now staring into each others eyes. The moment seemed perfect. "Hopefully she doesn't notice how stupidly I'm smiling right now," he thought.

"Hey Cody?" She asked in asked in an almost whisper.

"Yeah?"

"I have… I have something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" He asked as he inched his way closer to her.

She slowly moved her face closer to his, and with a small smile, whispered, "dibs."

Suddenly, she let go of his hands, grabbed Somnos, and ran off down the path after the last butter free with Nadine following behind her.

"Hey, that's cheating," he said, though he wasn't loud enough for her to hear. He then noticed Feathers trying to hop after her trainer, but Cody grabbed her before she was out of reach. "Oh no you don't, you can't fly right now." After the little bird calmed down, he placed her next to Bastion, and he collapsed next to them. "What the hell just happened?" he exclaimed. All of the pokemon looked at him as if they were about to answer the question. But none of them did. Cody still felt that stupid smile still plastered on his face. His mind was no longer on the butterfree, but Heather.

"You should have kissed her bro. She wanted you to," the voice in his head said.

"Shut up Laurence." He said out loud again, getting more stares from his pokemon. Suddenly, he felt his pocket vibrating. He pulled out his phone, which was somehow getting reception. Without looking at the ID, he opened it right away. "Hello?"

"Cody, I finally reached you!" his dad's voice came in over the phone. He sounded tired, despite the energy level of his voice. "How you doing out there buddy!"

"Great, we've been doing well. We're winning a lot and stuff."

"Oh, that's great. I hope you're giving it your all."

"I am. Hey dad, you sound tired? Everything okay? Did mom tell you about the larvitar I caught?"

"Yeah… Cody, that's one of the things I wanted to talk with you about."

"My larvitar?"  
"No, your mother. She told me when you two were talking the other day, you were getting belligerent with her."

"What? I wasn't being that bad! I was just saying how it was unfair that mom doesn't want me to travel with Heather, the girl I met."

"Yeah, Cody, that's kind of the point."

"What do you… Dad, you aren't taking her side, are you? I mean, I really like hanging out with this gi-"

"I'm not telling you shouldn't hang out with her, date her, or any of that. You're a teenager now. You're going to be responsible for what you do out there. I'm just saying…" Long pause. "I'm just asking that you be careful out there and don't screw up your life."  
"What do you mean 'screw up my life'? I'm being careful, I'm not being irresponsible, I'm-"

"Look son, your mother has been very unhappy with the situation. I'm not supposed to be talking about this, but we have been… never mind."

"What the hell? You're going to tell me that something is wrong only to say never-"

"Language Cody," his father said in his parenting voice. "I just hope that you are planning on making something of yourself after all of what has happened and not just clowning around. It's dangerous out there and it would destroy our family if something were to happen to you."  
"As if our family wasn't wrecked to begin with," Cody responded, anger in his voice.

"Don't talk that way about-" He stopped yelling. Cody could here his mother shouting something in the background. "Look Cody. Just think about everything I said. I have to go. Be careful, son."  
"Sure Dad," he groaned, and hung up. All of the good feelings were gone now. He stared at Bastion, who was staring back. He had been staring at his trainer for the past few minutes. "Well what the hell did all that mean? What is he trying to tell me?" Bastion just grunted in reply. But Cody's mind just kept spinning. His father was being indirect about what he wanted to say. It was obvious that he didn't approve of Heather either, but that wasn't the point of the phone call. It lead back to Derrick. It always lead back to Derrick.

"So close," Heather groaned as she trudged back into the space. "I don't know how we're going to win at the gym if only Feathers can fight flying pokemon effectively. Somnos and Nadine struggled the whole time." Despite her complaints, she seemed happy anyway. But as she looked at Cody's face, the smile disappeared. "Cody, you alright? You looked a little haunted."

"Yeah, just got off the phone with my dad… I've never heard him sound more critical of my life than he did just then."

"What?" A few seconds pause. "You… do you want to talk about it?"

"Meh, not right now…" he replied quietly. It wasn't anything he wanted to explain to her. Suddenly, he felt a large drop of water splash on his face. The clouds were dark. They hadn't been so dark earlier.

* * *

Bastion was sitting on his trainers lap. He could tell Cody was troubled. He didn't seem as lively after making sounds at the little sound box he carried. Humans were so curious to watch. They did things that made little sense. But at the same time, he had little understanding of what motivated his trainer. But he respected him for what he did understand: that his trainer had made him stronger. That was his goal now. To grow with his trainer.

"I wonder what you're thinking about," Cody said as he looked at the little turtle that sat in his lap. They had made camp in a small cave to escape the rain. After checking it for zubat and ursaring, they started a small fire with sticks they had picked up along the way. He was alone now with his pokemon. Heather was out in the rain so she could help Somnos get to a pond to get some fresh food. Mars was busy eating fungus in the cave while Larvitar poked around the stones for the minerals he preferred. Feathers and Nadine were looking around for bugs.

While looking at his pokemon, his mind still raced on what his father had said on the phone. What had he meant? He was already trying to be careful. It might have had to do with what his father had almost said before he stopped saying it. Something having to do with him and his mother. He knew his parents had been fighting. The fighting got very intense ever since Derrick had began cutting communication with them. Could it have gotten worse?

"It probably got much worse," he muttered. "I may have made it worse when I left." He looked at Batsion's face again. The turtle looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Would he care if they were to stop the adventure?

"Should I go home? Maybe I should. These four weeks have been great. But maybe this is all I get under these circumstances. It's not to late to go back home and fix things." But then his mind went back to what he wanted. He had always dreamed of traveling Skitrex with pokemon. Some would call it childish. Many young people had the same dream. "Maybe I should go back and study become a doctor or something. Even with the equivalence test, what could I even do in the future? Professional trainers live in a sink or swim world. There are other jobs involving pokemon. The government has large groups devoted to all sorts of pokemon programs. Research positions are also possible, but such careers don't require being a trainer. And having a non-pokemon related career may prove harder with this path."

Letting out a loud groan, he unzipped his sleeping bag so he could make a place to sit, laying part of it against the cavern wall so he could lean back. "Well what would you do?" he asked Bastion. The pokemon playfully fell on his back and began to rock back and forth. "Of course you would," he said again to the playful pokemon. It made sense. The little turtle enjoyed battling. He wanted to be the biggest fish in the pond.

It suddenly came to him. He remembered his dad telling him to make something of himself. And now, that's what he wanted. The wounds of his family were always there. Maybe he made them worse, but now, maybe nothing could be changed. He might as well continue and make it all worth it. For himself and his pokemon.

"That's what we're going to do," he whispered to Bastion. "We're going to become great. I swear it. From this day on, we're going to train like our lives depend on it. I'm going to become the greatest trainer in Skitrex if it kills me. Sound like a plan?"

The tiny turtle licked his cheek. He pet it gently and felt something pulling at his shirt. Nadine wanted to play. "Go play with her, Bastion." As the pokemon began to romp, he began to think about Nadine's trainer. The fact that Heather was traveling with him was great. Laurence had told him not to let this one slip out of his grasp. Why would he let that happen to a cute, fun, friendly girl that obviously seemed to like him? That was his argument to his reason. He thought about his new goal: becoming the best trainer in Skitrex. A relationship with this girl would be a distraction. Maybe after he became skilled at raising pokemon, he could make time for a relationship, but at the time, it seemed like it would be hard to maintain both, since he would be willing to spend loads of time with her. He also thought about his parents. Maybe it would be better to listen to them. Not lying to them would be a lot easier, and it would probably ease their nerves. But in this thought, he contemplated what he was giving up.

"Sorry Laurence," he thought to himself. Suddenly, Somnos waddled in, chirping happily. He seemed to have been enjoying the rain a lot. Heather followed closely, looking completely soaked, even though she was wearing a poncho.

"We should find a bunker or something, I think Lugia has resurfaced," she laughed as she took off her cover and plopped down next to Cody. "Hey, I hate to ask, but can you make the dinner? I really need to brush my hair before it dries."  
"Sure," he replied blankly. He reached in for the last can of raviolis, opened the lid, and placed it in the fire to cook. It was a crude way to prepare the meal, but it was effective. There wouldn't be enough to completely satisfy their hunger, but it would do for now. He looked back at Heather, who was now brushing her long brown hair. He began to question his decision, but managed to repress his hormones.

"Sooo…" Heather began, breaking the sounds of a crackling fire and the falling rain after several speechless minutes had passed. "You seem pretty off right now. Have you been thinking again, Cody? You know that's a dangerous thing to do."

"Yeah, I've been thinking…"

"About what?"

"I'd rather not talk about it right now. Hey look, the raviolis are done." Using some of the cooking utensils, he pulled the can out and ordered Bastion to give it a light spray to cool the outside of the can down. They both took forks and began to pick at the raviolis.

"Cody," Heather finally started again. "Is this about… you know, that moment back when the butterfree were hatching and we were… well-"

"I'm gonna stop you there before you say something awkward," Cody interrupted, chuckling a little bit nervously.

"Well," she continued, "I'm not embarrassed." She shifted closer to him. Their faces were inches apart now. "I just… It's so strange. I've only known you a short time and it feels like I've known you so much longer. I don't know… I feel like…"

"Like you could fly to the moon?" he interrupted again.

"Yeah, you could say that." She set the almost empty can of raviolis down and slowly took his hand in hers. The sound of the crackling fire, the playing pokemon, and the pouring rain were now drowned out by the sound of his heartbeat.

"I… I feel the same way," he replied, but when he looked into her smiling face, he couldn't smile back.

"What's wrong?" she asked again. Another awkward pause.

"It's my parents. I think they're fighting again and I'm pretty sure I'm the reason it got worse."

"What do you mean?" she asked in concern.

He sighed. "You see, my family has been falling apart for several years. Ever since my brother left for good, they started fighting. For awhile, I've been trying to get into pokemon, but my mom wouldn't let me. Now that I am, they're fighting again, and I haven't helped. I've said some things in rage that I wish I had not. I've caused a lot of problems."

"I'm sorry," she said in a soft voice. She moved even closer. The moment was feeling bittersweet. Cody knew what he had to do, but he liked what he already had.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." He paused. "My dad told me something today that made me see clearly. That I need to make something out of this adventure. I know now that I can't reverse the wounds I reopened. So I have to make something of what I'm doing here. I have to become a great pokemon trainer or it will be all for nothing. I can't just joyride through Skitrex."

"Wow," she said in almost a whisper. "That's deep."

"Unfortunately…" he started again slowly. "My parents also don't want me to be getting involved in a relationship right now."

"Oh…" Her entire body became tense.

"Normally, I would ignore them… But… But right now, I need to focus on becoming a great trainer. I have to devote myself to my pokemon. And at this given moment of time… I really need to…" He looked back into her eyes. Her smile was gone now. She knew what was coming. "Right now I really can't be distracted, even if that means saying no to the other things I want." He let go of her hand. "I'm sorry Heather."

"Oh… well… okay." They moved apart now. He couldn't even look her in the eye. "I understand."

The two said little to each other for the rest of the night.

* * *

_ The dream had returned. Cody felt a wave of anxiety come over him. This time though, he was more observant of the surroundings. Though he was standing on something solid, there did not appear to be a floor or wall or anything else except for what looked like white smoke coming from below. He also realized he was naked._

_ "Well this is awkward," he thought to himself. He looked around, but saw nothing. The last time he had this dream, someone or something had touched him and had said something. Did that thing have a connection with this dream?_

_ "Indeed I do." Cody felt his body jolt at the voice. He looked around, but saw nothing._

_ "Who said that!"_

_ "Look into my eyes Cody Michael Storm!" Looking straight ahead, he saw two colorless eyes staring back at him._

_ "Who- what- why- how-"_

_ "How do I know your name?" The voice continued. "I know more about you than you know about yourself Cody."_

_ "But who are you!" Cody demanded._

_ "Always the impatient one Cody. All in good time, child. And I have all the time in the world. Just remember this dream. Remember that I am real. Remember that I will be watching." His vision went black._

* * *

"You look terrible," Heather remarked. She had noticed his eyes looking blood shot.

"Gee thanks," Cody grunted back. "I had this strange dream last night. I couldn't get to sleep afterward." He only had one battle that day since he couldn't focus, preventing his pokemon from focusing as well. His pokemon were not so happy about this situation. Bastion, who had been outside of his poke ball all day, had been tugging on Cody's jeans every time they saw a pokemon, only to be denied every time.

"Well that sucks. What was it about?"

"Hell if I know." The two trainers had now reached a suburb of Tempest Valley. Most of the walk was down hill now as they got closer to the city. The wind turbines that the valley was known for were scattered between the houses and on the hills.

"Well, I hope you get better. If there's still a waiting list, we're going to need a week to train."

"Yeah…. Heather, about last ni-"

"Look Cody," she interrupted. "I know I put you in an awkward place and-"

"No, it's not your fault," he said, cutting her off. "I'm just saying I can understand if you don't want to travel together after that. I just-"

"I still do," she said immediately. "Cody, traveling with you has been great, and I still want to be friends. I feel like I've gotten so much better at training by training with you. I'm sure we could improve from each others help."

"Well… Sounds like a plan!" he said with a smile. "You and me Heather. I'm going to be the best trainer in Skitrex, and you… you can be the runner-up if you stick with me."

"I think you got the roles reversed," she teased. "If Mars keeps bursting out of his poke ball at the beginning of every battle, I know I can beat you in the first round with Somnos."

"Assuming Somnos isn't asleep," Cody shot back.

The two kept the banter going for the rest of the walk. It was as though the night before had not existed. Sometimes, you need nothing more than a friend.

* * *

**So I killed the romance… for now. Anyway, tell me honestly: Cody's reasoning for not being in a relationship… does it make sense? I had to create a good reason, and that seemed solid in my brainstorms. If it were me though, I'd take both…**

** Speaking of which, I need to clarify that Cody doesn't represent me in real life. Parts of his personality do, but I try not to mirror my characters after myself or people I know. I like creating it from scratch.**

** Also, you guys can probably tell by these writer's notes that I am not really a part of the fan fiction community. So tell me… what does "Lemon" mean when it's used to describe a story? I'm kind of afraid to find out… I also noticed people are doing a lot more Pokemon x Human stories then they used to, and personally, I don't get the appeal… somebody explain that to me too, lol.**

** Well, REVIEWING IS NICE. Seriously, as stated earlier, college is very time consuming, but if I get a good response, I'm more likely to update more often. Peace out.**


	8. Chapter 8: Proving of Worth

** From a Review:**

_Anyway, remember to capitalize species names (a Pidgey is still capitalized, even if it is not nicknamed). _

_Make sure to capitalize moves, as well. Quick attack should be Quick Attack, water gun should be Water Gun, etc., etc._

**Believe it or not, there was a method to my madness. My original intent was only to capitalize names (such as nicknames, or if Larvitar was being called by that name by Cody, he'd be Larvitar) but when the pokemon are being talked about in the sense of them not being a proper noun (the larvitar fell on his face), it would be different. However, for simplicity sake, I'm going to capitalize all attacks and pokemon names from here on out. Thanks for the review. I'm glad SOMEBODY is reading, lol.**

**I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing, but I would like feedback to keep me going. I have made a few changes to the future teams of the trainers now that the fifth generation of pokemon are upon us. Some of them are really cool, so they must be included. Here we go. Read and review, my peeps.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Proving of Worth**

The Tempest Valley gym was separated from the rest of the city. Rather than being in the middle of the city, the gym was out in a nearby field. Dozens of trainers were out working with their flying pokemon, who performed beautiful acrobatics in the sky above. It was a spectacular sight to behold.

"Look at the way that Pidgeot is diving. It's so fast," Heather said in awe. Her own bird pokemon was fluttering excitedly about the two trainers as they walked. "That's going to be you someday, Feathers."

"I hope they can battle as well as they fly," Cody replied as he aimed his new purchase up at the birds above. The video camera wasn't recording anything, but he was messing around with the zoom as he tried to follow a Starly that zoomed by fifty yards away.

"How much did that thing cost you?" Heather asked curiously.

"I'd rather not say, but it's an investment," Cody said as he followed the birds that flew by. "If I want to get better, I need to revisit my battles and find out where I need improvement. I can do that if I record them. I can record yours too if you want."

"I'll consider it," Heather responded. Conversation between the two of them had been slightly awkward since their discussion in the cave, but it was manageable. Cody was more focused on his new goal of improving, and the camera he bought that morning seemed like a good way to improve his and his pokemon's skills.

The two eventually reached the building that was the gym. It was a pretty large structure with what looked to be a dome on top that must have been slightly open since various flying pokemon were flying in and out. The first room they entered was a lobby where they were greeted by a receptionist.

"Welcome to the Tempest Valley Gym!" she said in a giddy yet scripted tone. "Are you two trainers interested in challenging this gym in the near future?"

"Yes we are," Cody replied confidently.

"Great, then I will need your license." She took his license and scanned it with the machine before looking back at her computer. "Hmm… no Skitrex badges, three registered pokemon… everything checks out!" She handed him his card back. "We have a first tier battle opening for you on this day next week at 2 PM, assuming you beat a practice trainer between now and that date. Do you accept?"

"Yes," he replied, though he felt his heart sink. A week seemed like such a long wait. But then again, he needed it. Bastion was ready, but Larvitar and Mars needed work.

"Okay then, you're registered for the battle! Can I help you next?" she asked Heather. As she began the process again, Cody walked around in the lobby, looking at the various framed photos. They were of various gym leaders who had run the gym in the past, each of them standing with their best flying pokemon. Cody followed the pictures to the most recent one. The young man in the picture had shaggy dirty blonde hair and a goatee, with a beautiful Braviary standing by his side. The caption read "Eagle Ashton and Justice."

"He's more challenging than he looks," a familiar voice. Cody jumped and spun around to see Laurence standing behind him looking as smug as ever.

"Laurence! What's up? Did you win the badge here already?"  
"That's my name, don't wear it out, I'm just peachy, and yes I did," he replied, answering every statement before showing off a dark grey badge in the shape and design of a little tornado.

"Wow, that's great! How was the battle?"

"Oh it was incredible bro. You should have been here an hour earlier. It all came down to Flex and Eagle's Braviary. Flex had taken a beating thus far but he managed a seis-"

"You honestly expect me to believe," Cody interrupted, "that he used Justice to fight you. He probably only uses him in 13th tier battles."

"Okay buzz kill, it was just a Fearow. Point is, we won and we kicked ass doing so. So how about you? When is your turn?"

"Next week," Cody sighed. "But that's okay. I need the practice. The receptionist also said something about beating a practice trainer."

"Oh yeah, you do that whenever. Just go in there and Eagle will assign you somebody to battle."

"That easy huh? Okay, where is he?" Cody asked.

"He's in a battle right now. A 6th tier battle to be exact. That's why I'm here still. They're both on their last pokemon. I just came out here for a drink."

"Well let's go in. I wanna see this! Heather! Meet us inside when you're done." The two friends went through the entrance to the battle dome. The arena seething was semi packed with spectators as the challenging trainer dueled with Eagle. The arena itself was simple. The floor of the battle field was made of packed soil, but the space above it was full of open space, perfect for birds to battle in. Both stood on platforms elevated ten feet off the ground as their pokemon battled in front. A Charmeleon shot flames at an ornamented Unfezant that dodged the bursts in the air. They eventually found seats and Cody managed to get a good look at the challenger. He was an older boy, attractive but serious in appearance with neatly combed brown hair, contrasting Eagle's more rough appearance.

"Charmeleon! Focus on his movements! Flamethrower again!" the challenger commanded.

"Unfezant! Detect it!" With a spectacular movement, the Unfezant avoided the flamethrower with ease and dove at an angle parallel that of the flame and slashed at the Charmeleon with razor sharp wings. The lizard retaliated by smacking the bird with its flaming tail.

"Who's winning?" Heather asked as she sat in a seat behind the boys.

"Right now, it's pretty even, but I put my money on the challenger," Laurence replied. "That Charmeleon is pretty crafty."

"Is that the challenger?" Heather asked as she gazed at the teen in the challenger's platform. "He's pretty cute."

"Yes he is," Laurence said. He then leaned over to Cody. "Heads up Cody," he whispered. "Your woman is interested." Cody pretended to ignore Laurence as he watched the fight. He would eventually have to tell his friend what went down between him and Heather, but now wasn't the time. Besides, the battle was much more interesting.

"Air Cutter!" Eagle shouted. The Unfezant shot waves of air that broke through the flying flames and followed the parting of the fire with a quick attack, hitting the fire pokemon in the chest. "Atta boy, keep it up! Aerial Ace!" The bird flew directly at it's target, but on its approach, the Charmeleon opened its mouth and spit out a cloud of smoke, surrounding it in a black fog. The Unfezant flew directly through it and looked back. Did he hit his target?

Suddenly, by his trainer's command, the Charmeleon leapt from the smoke and hit the bird dead on with a powerful claw attack, leaving deep cuts on the bird's breast. The Unfezant shook off this blow and the two pokemon began trading blows from wings and claws, both taking cuts on their faces and chests. It was pretty gruesome to watch, but neither pokemon was giving in. However, the Charmeleon was winning the battle of brute force. Eagle ordered his bird to back off, but this gave the challenger the opening he needed.

"Tail Whip!" the challenger commanded. The Charmeleon smacked the Unfezant again with his flaming tail, sending the pokemon skyward. "Now finish the job!" The Charmeleon shot flames at the falling bird, engulfing it in fire. It landed in a heap on the ground, feathers ablaze. He stood up and managed to shake the fire off, but as he tried to fly again after the crash, he fell on his face.

"Unfezant is unable to battle!" The referee called. "Charmeleon and his trainer, Jared Rossinger, are the winners!"

The spectators in the audience began to clap. The platforms lowered as the two trainers tended to their pokemon. After Eagle returned his Unfezant to his pokeball, he went up to the challenger and shook his hand before saying something to him that Cody couldn't hear and handed him a badge. The challenger then returned to his Charmeleon and patted it on the head before spraying him down with a super potion.

"That was incredibly smart how that Charmeleon got the edge in the end," Cody said in awe as the three of them walked down to the ground level of the arena. "I thought the Aerial Ace technique was a sure hit maneuver!"

"That was the Unfezant's error," Laurence explained. "That last minute shake up threw him off, and he missed. Smart thing too. It could have been the beginning of the end for that Charmeleon if it had been hit."

"Well, that makes sense I guess," Cody said in response. Already in his mind, he began to imagine the kind of battle he would have with Eagle. Obviously, it wouldn't be against an Unfezant, but what would be waiting for him?

Just as they reached the bottom, Eagle was heading out, Cody managed to get his attention. "Hey, Mr. Eagle?"

The leader laughed. "Don't be so formal dude. What do you need ?"  
"Yes, um, my name is Cody Storm, and I'm facing you next week for the badge and stuff."

"So am I!" Heather cut in.

"Well, it's nice to meet you two," Eagle responded jovially. "Listen, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get my pokemon to a nurse, so-"

"Wait, before you go," Cody asked, "the receptionist said something about practice trainers?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. How many badges do you both have?"  
"Neither of us have any yet," Heather answered.

"Oh, good! I have just the trainers!" He turned to two young kids. "Lavar! Janice! We got two rookies here ready for battle! Meet them out on the field for a test drive!"

"Okay!" both kids said at once before running for an exit door that lead to the field.

"That was easy enough," Cody stated. He turned around to see the previous challenger walking towards the exit door they were standing by. His Charmeleon was walking next to him with a slight limp. The super potion had worked quite well, as the cuts from the Unfezant's wings and talons were scabbing up quite nicely.

"Hey, Jared, right?" Cody asked. "We saw the end of that battle. Your Charmeleon was amazing."

"Oh, thank you," he responded in a bland sounding voice. "It wasn't all that difficult for us really. We've fought stronger opponents before. His Unfezant was rather predictable."

"Oh… okay then," Cody replied. For some reason, he felt an aura of arrogance from the trainer's last statement, but he didn't say anything.

"That thing you did with the smoke was incredible!" Heather said as she stepped forward. "That was so smart! Did you train your pokemon to do that?"

"Well, yes we did. It's a trick we've been working on for quite some time now to throw off opponents who out speed us with attacks that…" Cody suddenly noticed that Jared's tone had grown a lot more enthusiastic now that he had Heather's attention. She seemed enthralled by his very presence.

"Well that was fast," he thought to himself. He turned around to head out the door, he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. He turned around to face Laurence, who looked pretty upset.

"You're gonna leave her in here with him?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah, I got a battle to win," Cody replied. He tried to turn around again, but Laurence held him still.

"Hey Heather! Be a doll and tell Storm's practice partner that he's going to be a little late. We gotta have a little heart to heart." With that, Laurence walked with Cody outside before abruptly getting in his face. "What's the matter with you? She's all over that guy, and you're acting like a total beta! I haven't seen you talk with her, let alone do anything else since you got here! What's up!"

"Look Laurence, please just mind your own business for once," Cody said in an exasperated voice. "I have a trainer to battle, so if you mind-"

"My business to you as a bro is to make sure you don't do anything retarded, so what's up with you and her?" he demanded.

"Look, things just didn't work out and-"

"Didn't work out?" Laurence repeated annoyed. "Cody, last time I saw you two together, it looked like she wanted you, and I ain't seen any girl look at you like that before, ever. I mean, I had to convince Angie to give you a chance because you were acting like a tool with her. You're not telling me something, and I'm 95% sure you f****ed up on this one, so lay it on me."

"It's a long story, so maybe-"

"So maybe I got time," Laurence interrupted once more. Cody sighed. He knew he wasn't going to be able to lie his way out of this one, and there was no way he could convince Laurence to leave him alone, so he began to recount the story of the other night. After telling him the tale, Laurence just stood there dumbfounded.

"So let me get this straight," he said as he was compiling the knowledge in his head. "You two hold hands under a bunch of butterflies, only to not make a move there, and when she gives you another chance by cuddling up with you in a cave, you turn her down because you want to focus on training?"

"Yes."

"Okay then Cody… Let me ask you something… Are you a queer!" Laurence shouted at him inches away from his face.

"Shut up!" Cody whispered loudly as he looked around to see if people heard them just then. "That's an extremely offensive thing to be screaming out in the open, and you know for a fact that I'm strai-" he was cutoff as Laurence smacked him across the face. After stumbling back, he looked back at Laurence with a pissed off composure.

"What was that for!"

"For being an idiot!" Laurence shouted back. "If you were at least gay, it would be understandable. It's not like you can control that, but you can control idiocy! I can't believe you did this. I guarantee you're never gonna get a girl that hot to like you ever again."

"I have priorities Laurence!" Cody shot back. "And right now, they're my pokemon. I can't get distracted right now."

"It's called time ****ing management Cody! I've already banged a chick since hitting the road, but I'm doing fine because I'm managing my time! It's not like I'm spending every moment of my time reading battle logs, and I know you don't do that either."

"Laurence, you sleeping with some random girl is different from a relationship. I'm talking about a long term commitment with a girl I'm friends with! Not some random five minutes with a stranger!"  
"Wow Cody, you think I only lasted five minutes?"

"No, I didn't mean it like tha-"

"You're a douche," Laurence interru

pted. He was getting even more frustrated. "Cody, I know it's not just a distraction issue. It's your mom, isn't it? Since when have you been such a momma's boy?"

"Since my parents are on the verge of divorcing!" Cody blurted out. A silence overtook the conversation.

"Wait… what?" Laurence asked. His voice had dropped quite a few decibels now.

"My parents have been fighting more, and it's worse than before," Cody began again. "I was talking with my dad, and he told me that if I'm out here, I need to take this training thing seriously. I just reopened all of the Derrick wounds, and I might not be able to fix them. Honestly, neither of them want me dating Heather, so for the time being, I have to listen to them and prove that I can make something of myself as a trainer."

"Wow…" Pause. "Cody, are you sure it's actually gotten worse? You always used to talk about your parents fighting, so maybe you're reading this wro-"

"I can tell by talking with them," Cody replied, cutting his friend off. "I called home last night and talked to both of them. My mother burst into tears half way through our conversation. She knows I'm doing fine, but I guess that's what's killing her. That I might get so caught up in this, I never come back."

"You should have told me all of that earlier. I wouldn't have yelled at you. I guess you're only slightly moronic." They both chuckled at the joke, but Laurence frowned. "I feel as though this is my fault. If I hadn't pushed you into this, if I hadn't brought you to catch that Squirtle, maybe this wouldn't be happ-"

"Don't go there Laurence," Cody said, stopping him once more. "If it wasn't you and Batsion, it may have been Paul and a Sandile the next week. Besides, I've been having the time of my life, despite the hardships. My pokemon and I are growing stronger together, and I know we can make it now. I see hunger in their eyes and it reminds me of my own."

"Okay then," Laurence said. His smile was coming back. "You better get to that practice battle then. You don't want to keep your pokemon waiting any longer." They began walk out toward the fields. They passed Heather, who was already battling Janice's Chatot with Somnos. "Oh and Cody," Laurence continued. "Sorry I called you a homo and stuff back there. You know I just like tough love."

"Sure thing, dick," Cody replied. It got a chuckle out of Laurence before he punched Cody in the arm. All was right with the world again.

Eventually, they found Lavar waiting for them. He was a young dark skinned boy at about eleven or so in age, and he looked eager for battling. "Finally, you show up!" he exclaimed in excitement. Come on, we're gonna battle near that tree over there!"

As they began walking, Cody began talking with the trainer. "Hey Lavar, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"I'm curious, how did you become a gym trainer?" he asked.

"Well my folks told me I'm to young to leave with pokemon, so they let me train here. I've been a trainer for four weeks now, and it's great working with Eagle. Eventually, I'll be allowed to train with tier two trainers!"

"What about the older trainers? Like the ones they use for 13th tier practice?"

"Oh, their just ace trainers that are studying with Eagle."

"That sounds awesome," Cody replied. "I wish Stone Rise had a gym." he added on longingly.

"Me too," Laurence said. "Beating Gordon's ass got really boring really quick." They finally reached the tree, and Lavar and Cody separated to alternate sides of the makeshift battle field.

"Hey Laurence," Cody called out. "Do me a favor and record this. I want to look back on it later."

"Sure thing!" Cody handed him the camera and faced his opponent once more.

"Okay!" Lavar called out. "Since this is a first tier practice battle, you are only allowed to use two pokemon against me!" He pulled out a pokeball. "Let's go, Hoothoot!" A tiny owl appeared from the ball and hooted as it bounced around on one foot.

"Okay then," Cody said calmly. "Let's go La-" He stopped as a flash of light exited from his belt and Mars appeared on the field, wearing a bold face and ready for battle. "Or Mars. You too…" He could hear Laurence snickering at Mars's entering the battle uncalled. "Mars! Sand Attack!"

The mole popped underground and popped out in a split second to shoot sand at the owl with its mouth, but the owl didn't seem phased by the sand in the slightest. Its focus still on Mars, it flew at the Diglett head on in a face first tackle. The mole saw this coming and managed to pop underground before a quick reemerging to take a slash at the owl from behind.

"Don't let him get the better of you Hoothoot," Lavar called to his pokemon. The owl kept trying to peck at Mars, but he kept popping in and out of the ground at different positions around the owl. It looked like a game of whack-a-mole.

"Keep teasing him! Mud Slap!" Mars popped up in front of his target and slapped the owl in the face with a claw full of mud. The owl look flustered after the hit, but flew a foot above Mars's reach and began to use Hypnosis under its trainer's orders. Mars didn't respond fast enough to the Hoothoot's actions and began to get drowsy. He tried to dig back underground where he could be safe from the waves, but fell into a light sleep before managing to escape. The owl then began to pummel the drowsy mole with multiple tackles.

"You need to wake up Mars!" Cody shouted, causing Mars to eventually reopen his eyes. As the Hoothoot tried to tackle him once more, Mars managed to grab one of his feet and pull the owl partly into the ground. As the bird tried to escape, Cody commanded his Diglett to use magnitude. The tremor began, and the owl was hit straight on by the shaking. It managed to wriggle free, but Mars popped up in front of his foe and slashed the owl with a critical slash to the face. The Hoothoot lost flight and fell on its back, unable to stand.

"Good try Hoothoot! Come back!" Lavar called his owl back and picked out another ball. "You know what to do, Doduo!" A tall wingless bird with two heads emerged from the ball. Both heads began chattering with each other, but once their attention focused in on the squeaking Mars, a look of pure deviousness shone in their eyes. "Quick Attack!"

The twin headed bird chased down the Diglett, but he managed to pop under the ground before it reached him. Mars then dug up under the Doduo's feet, making it trip, but the bird quickly regained its footing.

"Don't lose your cool, Doduo! Peck him!"

"Get underground before he reaches you!" Cody commanded. Mars managed to dig underground, but before the hole closed behind him, the left head of the Doduo managed to reach in and grab the mole, and yanked him out of the ground with its long beak. As the left head held the mole above the ground, the right head began to peck at Mars's wriggling body.

"Finish it with a Fury Attack!" The left head tossed Mars into the air and the heads pecked at the mole with lightning speed. The mole laid in a limp heap.

"Good work Mars!" Cody returned the Diglett to his poke ball and began to think of his next move. Sure, Larvitar needed the experience, but Bastion would be able to win this fight.

"You're up Bastion!" The ball exploded and the Squirtle broke into a sprint to tackle the bird in its chest. It fell backwards, but leapt up once more and grabbed the turtle by the shell. "Withdraw!"

Bastion pulled into his shell, but the bird didn't give up. The head that wasn't holding the Squirtle reached its beak into the shell and began to peck. This didn't last long however, since a blast of water shot out of the shell, hitting the pecking Doduo in the face and creating enough force so that he managed to escape the bird's grasp.

"Very clever Bastion! Use Iron Tail!" As the Doduo and Squirtle ran towards each other, Bastion made a low jump and clubbed the bird in the kneecap with a silver flash of his tail. The bird let out a screech and tried to peck at the turtle again, but Bastion managed to dodge these strikes.

"Finish it off with an Aqua Jet!" Bastion pulled into his shell and shot water out through the back openings to strike the Doduo in the chest again, knocking the bird out cold.

"Great job Bastion! You make this look easy," Cody said as his Squirtle ran up and hugged his leg. "You get all that?" Cody asked Laurence as he picked up Bastion.

"Yup, it's all here," Laurence said, patting the camera. "Good work man. That didn't take you long at all."

"Yeah, good work Cody," Lavar said before shaking his opponent's hand. "I'll tell whoever is at the desk that you won. Good luck to you next week!"

"Thanks kid," Cody replied.

"Hey Cody, you didn't tell me that your Squirtle knew Iron Tail," Laurence said.

"Yeah, he used it once without me telling him to and I've been training him to use it on command ever since. To be honest, I don't know how he learned it. TMs are pretty expensive, and he didn't have any special training or anything."

"I think I have a guess," Laurence answered. "That creek where you caught him at runs through an old steel mill further up stream. It's possible that your Squirtle's drinking water was filled with metallic minerals, allowing him to use the attack naturally."  
"Really? Does that work?" Cody asked.

"Totally. I saw an ad on TV the other day about giving young bird pokemon a special diet so they can learn Steel Wing at an early age."

"Wow, you're an extremely lucky little guy," Cody murmured to his Squirtle, who was now playfully chewing n his tail. He set the turtle down on the ground and looked over to see Heather walking up to them with a smile on her face.

"I assume you won?" she asked.

"Yup, you too?" he asked in return.

"Of course! But Nadine tweaked her knee in the finish, so I need to get her back to the pokemon center right away. You guys want to go get some food after?"

"Honey, I'm a man. Of course I want food!" Laurence replied. "All in favor of the woman making us sandwiches?" Both he and Cody raised their hands.

"Yeah right," Heather laughed. "That's really sexist."

"Hey, I wasn't talking about you," Laurence said smartly as he looked over at Cody with an evil grin. "Two against one, Cody. Looks like you're in charge of lunch!"

"I'll die before I make you a sandwhich," Cody shot back.

"Well, you better star running then boy," Laurence threatened. The two boys stared at each other for five seconds before Cody bolted off into the field.

"Get back here Storm! I want my sandwich!" Laurence screamed like a maniac. But Cody kept running with Bastion by his side while laughing. Despite all of life's dilemmas, he was in a moment that felt priceless.

* * *

** Sorry this chapter is shorter. I want to keep this chapter and the events of the next chapter separate. I gotta tell you, writing fighting scenes can actually get pretty boring. Still, I'm trying to put in one per chapter. I mean, this is a pokemon story after all. **

**Also, I made a forum on my account about this story. Feel free to post there about the story and stuff if you feel the need. So REVIEW and tell your friends! I want to know about your opinions.**

** Also, for anybody who likes Harvest Moon: FoMT, I'm writing a fanfiction there too. It's called "Among the Mushrooms." It's Harvest Moon but with a twist. Please check it out if you're interested.**


	9. Chapter 9: Rivals and Reoccurences

**Reviews from the readers:**

_Can you leak what the line-ups will looks like? At least a little? :D_

**That wouldn't be fun for me. And I can't because they're too big. You see, the main characters are going to have teams of up to 15ish pokemon that they switch in and out for certain battles. So don't get too comfy with seeing the same ones over and over again because there will eventually be new ones coming into the mix.**

_Lol and :O at Laurence. HE DID WUT? *le gasp*_

**Sometimes… something beautiful happens in this world… you don't know how to express yourself, so… you just gotta sing! *Cue Akon and The Lonely Island***

_and I was wondering, how does a hitmonlee drink lemonade if it does not have a mouth?_

**Well, how would a Hitmonlee eat anything if it DIDN'T have a mouth? For all intensive purposes, it does have a mouth. The art style of Hitmonlee shows him without one because it's cooler that way, but being a mammalian creature means he needs a mouth to eat with. It's like how we have to assume pokemon have junk, even though it isn't drawn on them unless you're looking at pokemon furry porn… let's not go down that road… **

** Thanks for the reviews. Hope to get more readers and reviews in the coming chapters. Sorry about the delay. I'm working on another story at the same time, abd this stuff takes long for me to type out.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Rivals and Reoccurrences **

"You're right Laurence. Best omelet I've ever tasted," Cody admitted as he took another bite. It was a beautiful Sunday morning in late August, and Laurence had invited Cody and Heather to breakfast at a café near the park. They were eating at one of the café's outdoor table so they could get some fresh air. Despite the beautiful morning, the park was pretty empty of people for a Sunday.

"Told you so," Laurence said as he took another bite of his. "I ate here yesterday before I went to the gym. It's amazing when you find little places like this that serve good stuff. I'm gonna look for a good food place like this in every town that serves good food."

"You could probably make a book about that," Heather commented. "Make a book about all the good restaurants for trainers in Skitrex to visit in various cities. It would probably sell really well."

"You know Heather, you're probably right," Laurence replied. "If this trainer thing doesn't pan out, I'll be a food critic."

"That's the spirit," Cody said. He finished his omelet and leaned back in his chair. The waitress came by and took their payments as the conversation continued. "So Laurence, if you're leaving tonight, we're gonna battle before, right?"

"Sure bro, whenever you want."

"How about right now?" he asked.

"Okay man, sure. I just have to go pick my monsters up from the pokemon center."

"Cool, I'll go with you," Cody said as they both stood up.

"Where are you two battling?" Heather asked curiously.

"We'll do it here in the park. They have an old battle plot that we can use."

"Okay, I'm just gonna wait around here and enjoy the sun. See you two in a little bit." With that, she stood up and walked away into the park. Cody couldn't help but notice how short her jean shorts were.

"Nice ass," Laurence commented once she was out of earshot.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Cody groaned as he began the short walk back to the pokemon center. Laurence followed.

"Well, I hope you realize the hole you've dug yourself into," Laurence continued. "It's going to bug you forever."

"Yeah, I know, but I have to," Cody sighed. "I just wish she didn't start looking twice as good."

"It's only gonna get worse if she finds a boyfriend, bro. Then it'll be too late and you'll be crying yourself to sleep asking 'why did I let that babe go! Why!'"

"Laurence, it's good to know I have your support in this situation," Cody said sarcastically.

"Hey man, that's what I'm here for," he replied as if he hadn't heard Cody's tone.

The two trainers reached the center, and Laurence went up to the front desk to get his pokemon while Cody waited near the door. He couldn't wait to finally battle Laurence. He had been wanting to do it since he caught Bastion, but now he knew he was ready.

"Hey kid," called a boy's voice from the sofas. Cody looked over to see the boy who's Charmeleon defeated Eagle the day before. He was sitting on one of the sofas with a fierce looking Nidorano stationed by his feet.

"Hey," Cody greeted back. "Jared, right?"

"Yes," he answered. "Look, I saw you walk in and I wanted to apologize to you. You seemed very eager to congratulate me on my win, and I didn't ask for your name."

"Oh that?" Cody asked. He had completely forgotten.

"Yes, I feel that that was rude of me and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, it's all cool," Cody replied. "It's Cody by the way. Cody Storm."  
"Well, nice to make your acquaintance Cody," he said as the two boys shook hands. He had a firm grip. "You battling Eagle this week?"

"Yup, both me and Heather have battles this Saturday. I'm kind of antsy. I've never been in a gym battle before."

Jared chuckled. "I remember my first gym battle. It was pretty intense." His Nidorino stood up, walked over to Cody, and began to sniff his shoes. Cody noticed that its back right foot was wrapped up in an ace bandage.

"What happened to his leg?" Cody questioned curiously.

"Who, Nidorino?" Jared asked. "He got pretty banged up in our battle with Eagle. His Skarmory tore up his knee pretty bad, so he's gonna be out for a few days."

"Wait, Eagle uses a Skarmory?" Cody asked with intrigue.

"He did in my battle," Jared answered. "It was probably the most challenging of his pokemon to defeat."

"I see…" Cody said as his voice trailed off. He remembered the battle a few days ago with a Skarmory, which made him envious.

"So…" Jared continued, "this Heather girl. I was chatting with her yesterday. She your girlfriend or something?"  
"Her? No, we're just friends," Cody said as he swallowed a bitter feeling with those words.

"Really. That's strange. You don't see a lot of guy/girl trainer pairings traveling around that are just friends. Or at least I don't."

"Yeah, you're right," Cody agreed. This conversation was beginning to get more and more awkward.

"Yeah I was gonna say," he continued. "Because she's pretty cute."

"Then maybe you should ask her out," Cody blurted out.

_"Why the hell did you just say that!"_ his mind raged. He felt as though he just took a Hyper Beam to the chest.

"Oh really?" he replied. He stood up and stretched. "I have to go train. I'll be seeing you around Cody." With that, he and his Nidorino walked over to the elevator that lead to the center's training gym, leaving Cody to idle in his own foolishness.

"Dude… What the hell did I just witness?" Cody turned around to see Laurence standing behind him. His face was indescribable.

"Uh… how much of that did you hear?" Cody asked. This was not his greatest moment, and his cheeks were showing it.

"Enough to put my forehead in my hand and shake it," Laurence answered before doing just that.

"Look, let's just go battle. I don't want to think about this," Cody said, though it wasn't leaving his thoughts any time soon.

* * *

The two boys stood on opposite sides of the old battle plot in the park. Heather was on the sidelines ready to record the battle. They had agreed on a money bet and were each going to use three pokemon, no switching.

"You ready to lose?" Laurence asked smugly.

"I don't know the meaning of the word," Cody shot back. In truth, he had only lost a few battles thus far, so he felt pretty confident, aside from the fact that Laurence's Machop probably outclassed all of his pokemon with the amount of training it had.

"Let's see what you're made of then," Laurence shot back.

"Fine! Let's go-" before Cody could release Larvitar onto the field, Mars released himself from his pokeball, ready to rumble. "Or Mars," Cody sighed as the Diglett let out a battle cry of squeaks.

"Hey, it's cool. I'll choose a random pokemon too!" Laurence compromised. He picked up all his pokeballs and shuffled them before randomly tossing one onto the field.

"Rii, rii!" shouted the little Pachirisu as it entered the field. Cody saw Laurence go pale. No matter how tough the little squirrel was, its electric attacks weren't going to do much against a ground type pokemon.

"Uh… Maybe I take back what I said about the rando-"

"Too late!" Cody cut him off. "Mars, dig!" The little mole popped under the ground and popped up seconds later beneath the squirrel to send it flying. The Pachirisu landed on its feet and managed to use a Quick Attack against his opponent before he could go back under ground.

"Shake it off Mars! Scratch it!" Cody shouted.

"Bolt, Charm!" Laurence commanded. As the Diglett rushed the squirrel to strike him with his claws, the Pachirisu didn't flee. Instead, he gave Mars a cute look and let out a sweet sounding cry. Mars stopped dead in mid-swipe, questioning whether or not it should hit something so cute. "Now Tail Whip!"

"Mars, what are you doing? Hit it!" But before Mars could come to his senses, Bolt had given him a nice slap with his tail before avoiding Mars's various claw swipes. When Mars finally managed to hit with a scratch, the Parisichu didn't seem that phased. Its charm must have had a residual effect on Mars's mindset.

"Bolt, Quick Attack again!"

"Mars, Mud Slap!" The two pokemon charged each other at lightning fast speed and traded blows at they passed each other in the battle plot. Even though Mars managed to partially blind his foe with mud to the eyes, he was panting now. The squirrel was really draining him out already.

"Don't give up Bolt! Quick Attack!" Laurence yelled. The blinded squirrel tried to strike the tiny mole, but Mars took advantage of this side effect and dodged the attack perfectly.

"While he's dazed! Magnitude!" The Diglett started a tremor which caused the Pachirisu to fall on its face. "Now scratch!"

"Bolt, get to your feet and dodge it!" Laurence shouted, but the squirrel was too bewildered to comprehend the order. Mars made his charge, but while he was doing it, the earth seemed to roll along side him as he approached his foe. With a loud smack, the Diglett had struck the tiny squirrel with a wave of moving land.

"Great Bulldoze, Diglett!" Cody praised as the little mole squeaked triumphantly. His pokemon had learned a new trick.

"Good try Bolt," Laurence sighed as he called his returned the Pachirisu to its pokeball. "That was pretty nice Storm, but your gonna need a kiss from Lady Luck herself to win this battle." He picked out another poke ball and tossed it onto the field. His Shellos emerged and gave out a long high cry as the sun glistened over her purple skin.

Cody looked at Mars. The Mole looked exhausted after trading blows with Bolt. But he wasn't ready to give up. "Mars, Dig!" The Mole managed an easy strike on the slow moving slug, but she didn't seem hurt at all. The Shellos had used Harden in anticipation of the attack.

"Shelly, Water Pulse!" Laurence commanded. The sea slug shot a watery blast at Mars which hit him directly in the face, knocking him out.

"Good job Mars," Cody said as he called his pokemon back. He didn't expect Mars to last long against a water pokemon, but now he had a problem. He wanted to save his Squirtle for the final fight against Laurence's Machop, but now Bastion seemed like the only viable option for this battle, since sending Larvitar out to fight a water pokemon seemed like suicide.

"Give it all you got Bastion!" Cody cheered as he sent the turtle out to face the sea slug.

"Water gun!" Both trainers shouted at the same time. The water blasts collided between the pokemon, but Bastion's was much stronger. The water jet collided with the Shellos, but she didn't even flinch.

"Thanks for the boost, Cody," Laurence smirked. "Shelly, Water Pulse!"

"Dodge it Bastion!" The Squirtle just barely evaded the water blast, but Cody noticed that this Water Pulse was larger than the one that had hit Mars. The Shellos must have been able to improve its own water attacks by absorbing Bastion's. "Looks like we're going to have to avoid using water attacks this round, buddy. Tackle it!"

The tiny turtle leapt above another incoming Water Pulse and tackled the slug head first. "Now bite it!"

"Shake him off, Shelly!" The Shellos began to writhe and wriggle until it managed to toss the Squirtle off before shooting him with a perfectly aimed Water Pulse. It was a direct hit, but Bastion was nowhere near being through. He shook off the blast and withdrew into his shell to use an Aqua Jet attack against the sluggish Shellos, who was too slow to get out of the way.

"Shelly, he's too fast! Use Mud Bomb!" Laurence commanded. After shooting water onto the soft dirt, the Shellos began to shoot muddy balls of liquid at the fleeing Squirtle. Cody grew worried as he watched this chase scene. Each muddy ball that Shelly shot at Bastion seemed to be getting closer and closer to hitting the target. But then Cody got a bright idea.

"Bastion, jump over your opponent!" The Squirtle leaped over the Shellos, and the purple slug tried to shoot him down with another mud bomb, but she shot the ball straight up into the air, and it ended up crashing down on her.

"While she's dazed, Aqua Jet!" The Squirtle shot his shell into the slugs side and she fell on her back.

"Nice job, Shelly," Laurence called out as he returned the sea slug. He still didn't look too down about it though. "Playtime is over, Storm," he chuckled. "Show them who's boss, Flex!"

In a flash of light, Flex emerged on the field. The little Machop looked extremely confident as he stared down Bastion. Cody knew this wouldn't be an easy fight, even though he was up two to one. He would now go from the days where he cheered Flex on to when he would have to fight him.

"Focus Energy!" Laurence shouted. The Machop closed its eyes and began to focus.

"Take advantage of this Bastion! Water Gun!" The Squirtle shot a blast of water at the Machop, which hit directly, but the foe didn't lose his focus, even though he was pushed back. "Okay Bastion, you're gonna have to break his focus. Aqua Jet!"  
"Now!" Laurence stated. Flex broke out of his stance and ran forward at the Squirtle shell that was flying towards him. In one swift move, he shoulder tackled the oncoming shell and sent it flying into the ground.

"Back to your feet and use Bubble to slow him down!"

"Jump it!" Laurence shouted. Flex leapt over the stream of bubbles and tried to land a Karate Chop on the Squirtle below, but Bastion barely made it out of the way.

"Tackle him," Cody shouted. The turtle lunged at the Machop, but the enemy was too quick and he punched the Squirtle straight in the nose, sending him flying into the ground again. Bastion rose to his feet after the crash. A trickle of blood was running from his nose, but he had a look of rage in his expression. "Water Gun!" Cody commanded. This time, the Machop was blasted backwards, but he didn't look ready to give up..

"You're playing to sloppy, Cody! Make him submit, Flex!" The Machop shook off the water and leapt forward to grab the turtle before stretching Bastions limbs like a rag doll. Bastion struggled under the pressure of the submission maneuver. Cody began to feel worried for the first time in the battle. Bastion was fighting at his best, but he was still getting out classed in this battle, and he wasn't sure if Larvitar would be able to hold his own against Flex either.

"Rapid Spin," Cody shouted in desperation. Bastion managed to escape Flex's holdas he spun around inside his shell to escape the Machop's grip. "Now Iron Tail to the face!" Bastion leapt into the air to smack the Machop with his steely tail, but Flex instinctively grabbed the appendage and swung the turtle into the ground.

"Now Seismic Toss!"

"Don't give in Bastion! Water Gun!" In a last ditch effort, the tiny turtle shot a stream of water at the oncoming Machop, but the foe just ran through the blast, grabbed the Squirtle, and leapt into the air to deliver a beautifully executed Seismic Toss. THUD! As the Machop stood proud, Bastion lay in a sprawling heap on the ground.

"You were prime out there, Bastion," Cody said as he returned the turtle to it's ball. He looked on at the Machop on the field who was now flexing his muscles in victory. Bastion had been pushed to the limit, but he had barely made a dent. "I believe in you Larvitar!"

After the flash, the little lizard stared off against Flex. A look of fear emerged on Cody's pokemon's face. The Larvitar could sense that this opponent had much experience.

"Karate Chop!" Laurence ordered. As soon as the Machop began to chase down his foe, Larvitar let out a scream and began to run away in the other direction.

"Dammit Larvitar, face him!" Cody shouted to his pokemon, but the lizard kept running away. Machop eventually caught him and threw him into the air before punching him on his fall down.

"Karate Chop!" Laurence repeated, and the Machop made a sideways chop at Larvitar's face. As Flex hit his target, Larvitar's head was smacked to the side as a blob of spit flew from his mouth. Suddenly, Larvitar just stared back at the Machop. Cody was stunned at the look on his pokemon's face. He looked down right mean. The Machop began to back up in fear. Larvitar was using Scary Face.

"Raaaah!" the lizard shouted as suddenly, all the loose dirt on the battle plot began to swirl around him in a five foot radius. Larvitar had created his first miniature sandstorm.

"That's the way, Larvitar!" Cody cheered. "Horn Attack!" The Larvitar charged the stunned Machop and struck him with his horn. Flex fought back by delivering his own set of chops, but Larvitar kept chipping away at the Machop's defenses with strikes from his horn and fists. Flex began to struggle among the Larvitar's assault and the flying dirt.

"Don't let him get the best of you Flex! Submission!" The Machop performed a submission maneuver in order to wear down the lizard's assault, but among the sandstorm and the Larvitar's struggle, it seemed to be hurting Flex more than his victim. Suddenly, Larvitar let out an ear piercing screech. Flex lost focus and Larvitar reversed the hold and performed a running body slam on Machop. Laurence had a look of disbelief on his face.

"You're doing great, Larvitar," Cody praised . He was getting really excited. Maybe Larvitar would finally win a battle on his own? "Headbutt!" The Larvitar was about to strike Flex in the chest, but the Machop saw this coming and grabbed his horn. Getting to his feet, Flex held the lizard above his head with one hand.

"Vital Throw, now!" Laurence shouted. With a swift, fluid movement, Flex tossed Larvitar straight into the air. As the screaming lizard fell to the ground, the Machop gave him an uppercut to the chin. With one last gasp, Larvitar fell on the ground. He tried to get to his feet, but failed. The battle was over. Flex stood shakily in the battle plot as the little sandstorm subsided. Dirt was clotted in the cuts on the Machop's skin that Larvitar had made.

"Looks like I win, Storm," Laurence laughed. He went up to Flex and gave the little bodybuilder pokemon a high-five before pouring a little bit of water on the wounds so he could scrub the dirt out. "But your pokemon looked amazing. You'll have no problem winning the Tornado Badge."

"Yeah, it was a great match," Cody agreed. He began to spray his Larvitar with a potion. The little pokemon managed to stand up and looked into his trainer's eyes, almost as if to ask "did I do good?"

"You were great, little guy," Cody answered as if Larvitar had actually asked the question. He was still upset that Larvitar had not managed to win, but it was okay. Larvitar had shown much improvement in such a short period of time.

"I never seen him use Sandstorm before," Heather said in awe as she approached Cody to give him his video camera. "He got a lot better."  
"Yeah, there just might be hope for him after all," Cody chuckled as he pet the lizard's forehead.

"Pay up Cody. I want a new pair of shoes," Laurence commented as he walked over. Cody groaned and counted out the bills he owed Laurence. "Don't feel bad, loser," Laurence chuckled. "You were actually making me sweat ."

"Just wait till next time," Cody stated. The loss was beginning to bother him less already. Even though he didn't win, his own pokemon managed to beat Laurence's newer pokemon with ease. Knowing that was enough reason to smile.

* * *

The next week had rolled by like a whirlwind. Eventually, more trainers needed rooms, and Cody and Heather were forced out of the pokemon center's living quarters and into a motel. Paying for a room sucked, but it was better than sleeping outside.

Laurence had left on the day of the battle. His next plan was to head for the electric gym in Kito Grove down south. It would be a two month trip, but he was excited nonetheless.

Despite being a Friday night, Cody was in the room, re-watching battles from the last week on the TV which his camcorder was hooked up to. His win/loss record for the week had been pretty nice, so he figured he could beat Eagle without a hitch. He just hoped Larvitar and Mars would be able to pull their weight.

"Hey Cody," Heather said happily as she entered the room. She was dressed up nice in a red blouse and jean shorts, and her hair was wavy instead of straight. "You still watching those things?"  
"Yes. Mostly the Larvitar clips," Cody sighed. "I don't get it. Larvitar is doing well, but he still can't win against another pokemon unless he gets help from the others. I mean, I know Bastion will do well, and Mars… well, he'll do well enough against birds for a ground pokemon. But Larvitar…"

"You'll do fine," Heather replied in an attempt to ease his nerves. "You're really stressing. You've had battles on the mind nonstop." She sat down on his bed in order to get his attention. "You should go out sometime. You need some you time."

"I'll take some time off when I win," Cody stated. He looked down at Larvitar and Mars who were already curled up on the floor in a deep slumber. "So how was your night with Jared?"  
"Oh, it was fun," Heather replied casually. "He's kind of funny. Like, not in a humorous jokey way, but in an awkward sort of way. But he's really sweet, even though he's kind of serious."

"Sounds fun," Cody asked, trying to sound disinterested. This was the second time this week she had gone out with him. She seemed to really like the guy.

"He told me something interesting about you," Heather continued as her voice grew more serious. "He told me that you recommended that he ask me out."

"I might have said something," Cody murmured. He wanted to forget about the whole thing. He was getting focused with his training, and these random emotions were causing problems.

"Well," Heather finally said in an attempt to end the conversation. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Big day tomorrow."

"Yup," Cody replied. "Oh, and just so you know, Bastion is in the bathtub. Just letting you know so he doesn't scare you."  
"Okay, thanks Cody."

He went back to watching the clip of Larvitar fighting a Drowzee. Re-watching the same battles had grown boring, but he was beginning to notice how his pokemon moved and thought. His current goal was to help them add his strategies to their instincts so that they would be able to think abstractly like he could. Such goals seemed very far off, but with the right work, he would find a way to make it happen. Suddenly, he felt his eyes growing heavy. He slowly removed his pants and nestled under the sheets.

"I'll just nap for a few minutes," he thought to himself as his consciousness began to fade…

* * *

_Darkness it surrounded him in a cold embrace once more._

_ "I'm having the dream again," Cody said out loud, shivering in the abyss. "What is this place?" He looked around him, but all he could see was a light mist. He tried to walk forward, but his position didn't seem to be affected by his attempt. Nothing made sense._

_ He then remembered what the voice had said last time he had this vision. "Remember that I am real!" it had said. But what did that even mean? Wasn't it just a dream?_

_ "I know you're here!" Cody shouted into the empty space. "Whatever you are, I know you're watching! Where are you!" No answer. He sat down and sighed. What was the point of having the dream if nobody was going to try and scare him?_

_ "Always thinking about yourself," the eerie voice said. Cody stood up and looked around. He could see nobody. The voice seemed to come from all angles._

_ "Where are you! Show yourself!"_

_ "You are an arrogant child Cody. And what do you have to be arrogant for? You are but a petty trainer in a large world," continued the mysterious being._

_ "And yet it's worth your time to haunt my sleep?" Cody questioned._

_ The voice began to laugh. "You make an excellent point, child. In your current state, you are lacking. It's your potential that I desire."_

_ "Okay then," Cody replied. He began to feel calmer in this conversation. Nothing dangerous seemed to be happening. "Then what's the point of all this? Are you supposed to be Freddy Krueger or something? Why don't you just kill me already if that's what you want?"_

_ "Kill you?" the voice chuckled. "Who said anything about killing you? That would be such a waste." A dark hand stretched from the darkness and moved a strand of hair out from in front of Cody's face. He flinched at the chilling touch. "Besides, in my current form, I am incapable of killing you. I can only visit you in this way."_

_ "In what way?" Cody asked._

_ A fanged mouth extended from the darkness and stopped right in front of his eyes. "In your dreams," it whispered before disappearing again._

_ Cody just stared into darkness, he began breathing faster and faster. "Whatever this is, it isn't real. It isn't real. It's just a dream."_

_ "You are correct, this is just a dream. A dream that I control. That I manipulate. That I design. You're in my realm now, Cody."_

_ "Just what do you want!" Cody shouted. So many fearful thoughts flowed through his mind._

_ "I want you… but not now. Not yet. When the time is right, you shall do as I say, for you have my mark."_

_ "And if I say no?" Cody asked._

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "This is just a dream. You said it yourself. Eventually I'll wake up."_

_ "True," the voice said. "But who is to say I won't be back when you fall asleep again?"_

_ "Does it even matter?" Cody asked. "You can come creep me out all you want, but it's not going to matter if you can't kill me or anything."_

_ "I may not be able to kill you," the voice murmured. "But I can make you wish you were dead."_

_ Suddenly the dark hand shot out from the shadows and penetrated Cody's chest. He let out a scream in immense pain, and looked down at where the hand had entered. No blood came out, but the hole where the hand had entered looked real._

_ "Remember Cody," the voice said over Cody's shouts. "Remember this moment forever!"_

"Cody! Cody wake up!" Heather shouted in panic.

Cody began to thrash as he came in to conscience. Unaware of his surroundings he began to shout as he grabbed the girl that was trying to hold his shoulders down, not recognizing who she was.

"Cody, please calm down!" she cried franticly. He finally realized where he was, and he calmed down. He also noticed that in his panic of frantic struggle, he was grabbing Heather's breast. He slowly loosened his grip, feeling blood rush to his face in embarrassment, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Cody, I was so scared," she said with fear in her voice. "You were murmuring in your sleep and then you started tossing and turning and thrashing and I didn't know what-" she stopped in mid sentence as she noticed there were tears welling up in his eyes. "Cody, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine, I just had a bad dream," he blurted as he quickly wiped the tears out of his eyes. He was humiliated that Heather had seen him this way.

"Cody, do you nee-"

"I need fresh air," he interrupted. "I'm sorry I woke you ." He left the bewildered girl in the motel room and stood in the balcony, leaning against an iron beam that supported the roof above. A cool breeze blew against his face. He was only wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself.

"He has visited you, hasn't he?" crackled a voice behind him. He spun around and was shocked at who he saw. It was the old crone who read his fortune in Kindle City.

"What the- I know you," he gasped as he tried to remember her name. "Madame… Madame Stella. You were the one who freaked me out in… Wait, what the hell is going on! Why the hell are you here!"

"He has visited you, hasn't he?" She repeated again, ignoring his questions. "He has come to you in your dreams once more. You must be vigilant and prepared for his arrival."

"Wait, who? How did you know I was having a nightmare?" He began to back away from the old woman. "This is all just so wrong. You need to leave me alone. I don't even know you or what you're doing here."

"Denial will not save you, marked one," Madame Stella said as she took several steps closer to him. Just the smell of her breath was enough to make him cringe. "The dark one will come again, and you must have courage to face him."

"What does that even mean?" Cody asked desperately. "What does any of this mean?"

"When you are ready, he will reveal his plans for you. Until then, you must be wary. When he comes, you must show no fear in your heart and your mind. He will plague you in the night, and you must not forget that he has the power to make men go mad. Remember that, young Cody Storm." She slowly turned around and walked away down the balcony. Cody just stood in confusion.

"Who the hell are you! Why won't you say anything that makes sense?" She didn't answer him as she disappeared around the balcony's corner. "And how do you know my name!" No response. He walked to the end of the balcony and looked around the wall. She was nowhere in sight.

"This is too strange," he groaned as he walked back to his room. It was no use going crazy over something he couldn't understand. As he re-entered the hotel room, he noticed that Heather was asleep again. He felt like a creeper watching her as she slept, but he couldn't help himself for a moment. She looked so at peace.

"I shouldn't have pushed her away when she woke me up," he thought to himself. "She was only trying to help." Of course, she probably wouldn't have believed him if he had told her the truth. He could barely believe the experience himself. "I just need some sleep." he thought to himself as he laid back down on his bed. "Preferably without some stupid reoccurring nightmare."

"Weik, weik!" squeaked a small pokemon. Mars had woken up and had jumped up on the bed and began to lick Cody's face. He stroked the Diglett's fur and held the little mole close to his body, embracing the warmth.

"I promise you," he whispered to the mole and himself as he remembered the nightmare's words. "I promise that I won't remain a petty trainer forever."

* * *

**While I'm glad people are reading, I really wish I could get more reading reviewers. I think the lack of readers is coming from the fact that these chapters are pretty long. I mean, I see stories with less than a thousand words in the first chapter getting hits. Maybe it's because they're easier to read? I don't know. I know I could bring in more reads if I advertised the creation of OCs, but then, people will be coming in just to be a part of the story without caring what it is. That, and I really don't want to add OCs. There may be a point later in this story (MUCH MUCH LATER) when I'll accept simple OCs, but not now.**

** So, if you have been reading this, but you haven't been reviewing, I ask for a review and your opinions and what not. I'd like to get more support to continue this writing. Peace out ladies and germs.**

** P.S. - Are these battle scenes any good? They're a pain to write, but they're important and I just want to know how interesting they are for the reader. If they aren't, let me know how I can improve them. Peace for real this time.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Winds of Change

**Reviews from the readers:**

_(the old crone is human right?)_

**As far as you know, Madame Stella is a human. She makes her first appearance at the end of chapter 4, so if you're a bit foggy on her character, go back there. Since a lot of time is spaced between chapters, people may forget some things.**

_Your fight scenes are amazing._

**I'm glad you think so, because they're a pain to write. I have these beautiful battles planned out in my mind, but putting them on paper is hell. I also have trouble writing for Mars in particular, given that he's always in the ground, and there is only so much I can do with that.**

_Cody. YOU GOD-DAMNED IDIOT._

**Haha, you're gonna love this story. The characters do so many facepalm worthy things...**

_This is one of the best pokemon stories I have read in a long time - your_

_main character has good depth and background, and there's enough intrigue_

_about him to keep people reading. Your secondary characters are great too._

_Your battle scenes are really well written and descriptive, so they're easy to_

_visualize._

**Thank you, I'm glad you think so. I just hope I don't run dry or anything half way through. But yeah, I tried to develop Cody and friends as much as possible because I really didn't want him to be a generic Ash Ketchem or anything. **

**As for the grammar errors, I make a lot of them, unfortunately, and I can never clean all of them up. Again, if anybody is interested in being an editor, I will give you credit.**

** Read up and review, friends!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Winds of Change**

Cody's eyes slowly opened to the sunlight coming through the window. He looked down at his chest to see Mars still asleep in his arms. He never noticed how fast the tiny mammal's heart beat until now when he felt it pounding against his palm. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over at the digital clock. 8:17 AM.

"Six hours till my badge match," he muttered to himself. He looked over at Heather. She was still asleep. "Better not wake her." After putting the Diglett on the ground, waking the little mole up, put on a pair of running shorts, and then went over to wake Larvitar and Bastion, who were still asleep.

"Rise and shine boys," he whispered. "We got a big match today. We're not going to do any pre-fighting that could cause injuries so lets loosen up with a run." His pokemon just stared back at him like eager children. None of them knew what he was talking about. "Just follow me, alright?"

He and his pokemon left the motel and began the jog. It was a good morning for a run. The sun was only part way up, and the clouds were scattered in the sky, enough to cover the sun's harsh rays. Bastion was running on all fours in front of Cody. He had grown faster in the last few weeks and his agility was astounding for that of a turtle pokemon. Larvitar was several feet behind Cody, awkwardly running on two legs. He wasn't nearly as fast. Mars was in the ground, burrow charging in circles around the group as if he were boasting.

"Mars, that's cheating!" Cody yelled. "Get out of the ground!" The Diglett gave a reluctant squeak and exited the ground to run on all fours next to his partners. He was a lot slower at running with his tiny legs than digging. The group jogged together for about ten minutes until they were out of the city and into one of the forests. His pokemon were breathing heavily, but they still had energy to burn. Larvitar looked as though he was going to puke, given that he had never ran that far in his life.

"Good run boys. Go find yourself some breakfast." Bastion ran over to a nearby stream to look for crawfish, while Mars dug for roots and Larvitar looked for rocks. Cody sat down and watched the, search for their meals. The pokemon center provided food for traveling trainers' pokemon, but only for the first night. After that, it was either buy it or find it. Luckily, finding food for his pokemon wasn't too difficult, and being dematerialized inside a pokeball slightly slowed down the rate at which they grew hungry. Still, he couldn't imagine how much food they would need once they evolved. At least Bastion and Larvitar were reptiles. He had learned from a biology teacher that cold blooded animals didn't need as much food.

"I should eat something too," he said to himself. He saw some pecha berries growing on a nearby bush, but he wasn't feeling brave enough to try them. Even so, he picked a few and put them in his pocket for later. You never knew when you're pokemon would get poisoned.

As he sat back down against a tree, he heard a large shuffling coming from the brush. A large Shiftry emerged and began to walk into the clearing. Cody's suddenly got tense, and he grabbed his pokemon's pokeballs in case he needed to call them back. Shiftry were known for being extremely territorial, and he didn't want to fight one that looked this mean, especially right before a gym battle. The wicked looking tree stopped as he noticed the beings in his domain. He looked at all three of Cody's pokemon, and then he noticed Cody himself.  
"Skra…" the Shiftry grunted, and then turned to walk away. He didn't see them as a threat.

Cody breathed a sigh of relief as his pokemon went back to feeding. _"I nearly pissed myself," _he thought. _"I'm just glad that thing was smart enough to recognize that I'm only a petty trainer." _As those words passed through his mind, a chill ran down his spine. That was the same thing that the shadowy thing in his dream had told him.

His mind drifted back to the night before. The dream felt so real. The pain also felt real. It was gone when he awoke, but in the dream, it really felt as though he were dying. Was it more than just a spooky reoccurring nightmare? Logic would tell him that it was just a coincidental nightmare, but after experiencing it three times, he wasn't so sure

Then there was Madame Stella. That was where things started to make no sense whatsoever. Having a reoccurring nightmare was one thing, but this old woman was even spookier. She was spooky enough as a street vendor in Kindle City who went crazy after reading his fortune, but now… how did she find him? Logically, looking for him in this city made sense since it was the closest city to Kindle that had a badge. If she had picked up on the fact that he was heading there next… no, that didn't make sense either. For all she knew, he could have been just a normal kid in Kindle with his pokemon. How could she have possibly tracked him down to his motel room in this city?

_"Is she stalking me?"_ he thought. It sure seemed that way. How else could she find him so easily? _"And why did she appear right then after I had the nightmare? Almost as if she knew it was going to happen…"_

Cody felt his body freeze up again. The crone had mentioned "the dark one" or whatever it was called, and that he was "marked" or something. Obviously, she and the dreams were somehow connected. He then remembered the first time he had the dream. It was the night that Heather and him fled from Frank's trainer camp. That was a week after he had met Madame Stella, who somehow knew about his visions.

"Maybe she's causing them somehow?" It was possible that she had a ghost pokemon that was messing with his mind. But that still didn't explain how she found him in the first place. Suddenly, he snapped.

"This is a load of Tauros-shit," he groaned as he stood back up. "There's no such thing as evil spirits or real fortune tellers. It all has an explanation. I just can't figure it out yet." His exclamation had startled Larvitar, who was munching on a stone. The small lizard looked up at his trainer with curiosity.

"Maybe Heather is right. I'm going crazy with this training thing. I'll take the night off tonight after we get the badge." His thoughts then returned to his traveling companion. She probably thought he was insane now after he nearly attacked her in his sleep.

"I just need to relax. I got all the time in the world to be a good trainer. I don't need to rush it." He put on a smile as he bent down to pat his Larvitar's head, but his mind still was not at ease.

* * *

"Okay, so you have three pokemon registered for this battle?" Eagle asked Cody. The two of them were standing in the center of the battle dome. There were several trainers watching from the stands, but since it was only a first tier battle, the event wasn't worth a large crowd. Heather was sitting near the front row with the camcorder, ready to shoot. Jared was sitting nearby. Since she was battling Eagle soon after Cody, he was probably there to watch.

"Yes, only three," Cody answered. He had been putting his pokemon through an easy training regimen all morning and they were all pumped for the battle.

"Okay then. I'll use three too," Eagle said casually as he picked three pokeballs from his belt and handed them to his assistant. They were the ones he wouldn't be using. "The rules are simple. If you make a K.O. against one of my pokemon, you may switch that pokemon out before I send out a new pokemon, and you may use that pokemon later if you need to. You are also allowed one in-battle switch. I am not allowed to switch pokemon unless my pokemon use moves such as U-Turn or Baton Pass. If either one of our pokemon are outside of the arena boundaries for ten seconds total throughout the battle, they are disqualified. If you enter the field at any time during the battle, you lose. Same goes for me. If the match ends in a tie, our battle will be reviewed by this gym's panel and they will make a decision on whether or not you receive the badge. Is all of that clear?"

"Yes, I think so," Cody replied. He wasn't sure he got all that, but it was pretty basic stuff to remember.

"Awesome. Good luck to you Cody," Eagle said as he extended his hand. The two trainers shook hands before going to opposite sides of the arena. After stepping on the blue colored platform, it rose fifteen feet above the ground. It felt so strange that he would be looking down at his pokemon from above rather than at ground level. It was as though he was Caesar watching the gladiators fight in the arena below.

"Well boys, here we go," he whispered to his pokeballs. "Just do your best." He wondered if his pokemon could tell that this battle was more important than just a casual trainer battle. Just as long as they went about it like every other battle, things would be okay.

"This is a first tier battle for the Tornado badge!" The referee announced. "Challenger Cody Storm vs. Tempest Valley Gym Leader Eagle Ashton! Trainers! Ready your pokemon!" Eagle snatched a pokeball from his waist and elegantly held it up in the air. The dude had style. Cody tried to suavely pull a pokeball from his belt, but he felt he just looked silly. Style would come in time, he figured.

"Begin!" the referee shouted.

"Show your stuff, Wingull!" Eagle shouted as he tossed his pokeball into the arena. A small seagull emerged from the ball and flew above the arena.

"Heeya! Heeya! Heeya!" the little gull called. It brought back memories of the beach.

"Alright, take this one home, Mar-" Before he could toss the pokeball, Mars released himself from it, ready to fight. "Mars, I was going to send you out anyway!" Cody shouted. There were some laughs coming from the audience at the mole's eagerness to fight. Cody shook them off though. He was already beginning to see a problem with this match up. Unlike other flying pokemon Mars had fought, this was one that didn't need to make physical attacks against its opponent. His Diglett would completely be out of his element in this fight. He considered making his free switch now, but Larvitar would probably not fare much better against a Wingull, and he wanted to preserve Bastion for Eagle's later pokemon.

"Wingull, finish this early! Water Gun!"

"Don't let it hit you Mars!" Cody shouted. The gull began to shoot bursts of water at the ground below, but Mars managed to dodge them easily. He was doing what Cody had trained him to do: use his in-ground quickness to avoid attacks. However, the Wingull continued to hover above the arena and shoot water down at the mole. It was in control of the fight thus far.

"Mars, its not going to fly to you!" Cody shouted between his pokemon's reemergence. "Hit it with a Mud Slap!" The mole reappeared and threw a clot of mud at the gull. The bird easily avoided the shot. It was too obvious of an attempt.

"Don't let him get to you!" Eagle encouraged. "Mist!" The Wingul let out another call and flew around in a circle above the arena while mist flew out of its mouth. Cody's face fell. The Wingull was creating a more advantageous environment for itself.

"Try a Mud Bomb this time!" Cody commanded. "And don't miss!" Mars popped under ground and popped out again while tossing a large ball of earth at the gull. Rather than aiming for the bird's eyes, like he did with Mud Slap, the Diglett had made a direct hit to the opponents body with the ball of mud. However, the gull didn't seem that slowed from the hit. It was too at home in the mist.

"Shake it off Wingull! Swoop low and strike with a Water Gun!" The gull flew low towards the ground and shot a blast of water at the mole who swiftly dodged it and shot a clump of dirt at his foe. This trade of attacks happened again, except this time, Mars made contact. His luck ran out though as Wingull changed up its attack pattern and struck the mole with its wings. Eagle's pokemon was thinking abstractly.

"Mars, when the Wingull is flying low, try to hit it with a slash!" Cody shouted.

"Intercept with a Supersonic!" Eagle shouted.

"Mars, get underground!" Cody shouted in an attempt to get the mole to change strategies, but it was too late. The Wingull let out a short screech directly into Mars's face. The mole had a look of bewilderment on his face. _"Damn it, he's confused."_

"Water Gun him now!"

"Mars, if you can hear me, get underground and stay there!" Cody shouted in vain, but his pokemon couldn't hear him. The Diglett burrow charged the low flying gull, but ran face first into a blast of water. His body fell limp.

"Diglett is unable to battle! Wingull is the winner!" the ref shouted. The audience gave a light clap in response.

"Good try, Mars!" Cody called as he returned the mole to its pokeball. He wasn't expecting Mars to win in this gym, but at least wear down whoever he was facing. While he did hurt the Wingull a little bit, Cody was on the fence about who to send in next. Larvitar was unsuited for the match up, but he wanted to keep Bastion as his anchor in this fight. Who to choose?

"Your next pokemon?" The referee asked. Cody let out a sigh. He was already beginning to lose hope prematurely. He seemed to be looking at a losing battle no matter what his decision was.

"Don't let me down, Larvitar," he shouted as he reluctantly tossed the lizard's ball onto the field. Larvitar flashed into the misty field and looked up at his foe. He looked like he had as much confidence as Cody did.

"Rap this up, Wingull! Water Gun!"

"Dodge it and start up a sandstorm!" Cody yelled half-heartedly. Letting out a yelp of fear, Larvitar jumped out of the way, but couldn't get a sandstorm started. He had been unable to start one ever since his battle with Flex.

"Water Gun again!" Eagle commanded. Larvitar barely dodged this attack, and with a strong hop on the ground, he forced a decent sized rock up from under the dirt floor, and threw it at the gull. He missed, but it was a pretty good shot. Without a command, the lizard charged the low flying gull and struck it with his horn, though he took a Water Gun in the process.

Cody looked on in amazement. He had given up hope in this battle, but Larvitar was showing a lot of courage. He had learned from his trainer to fight the odds, and he wasn't about to stand down.

"Good shot!" Cody cheered. The little pokemon had just given him a giant confidence boost. "Screech!"  
"Supersonic!" Eagle yelled. Both pokemon screamed at the same time. But Cody noticed that Larvitar didn't seem to be confused. Suddenly, amidst the high noises, a powerful whip-like noise struck. The dirt on the ground began to swirl around Larvitar. He had created a sandstorm again.

"Yes! Sandstorm! Follow it with a Rock Throw!"

"Get away and shoot a blast of water!" The Wingull flew upwards in the swirling sand and shot another blast of water at the Larvitar below, but the lizard already had another rock in hand, and he threw it straight at the target. The rock powered straight through the Water Gun and hit the Wingull in the face. The bird crashed into the ground, but managed to get a few feet up in the air. Something seemed wrong with it however. Its feathers were clotted with mud. Cody then realized that the mist was soaking the flying dirt which was now weighing the gull down. Its former advantage was now its downfall.

"Don't give in Wingull! Get your head straight and hit it!" Eagle shouted.

"Before it can react! Body Slam!" Cody commanded. Larvitar fearlessly charged the gull, leapt a few feet off the ground, and slammed its entire body weight into the bird as they crashed on the ground. There was no way it would get up from that. The mist began to dissolve within the little sandstorm.

"Wingull is unable to battle! Larvitar is the winner!" More claps came from the audience as Eagle called his mud covered bird back. Cody could hear Heather cheering him on. Larvitar looked like he was itching for more. Despite taking a blast of water, he looked like he could fight anything that Eagle threw out next. It astounded him how much Larvitar had changed in his battling performance.

"This isn't over yet. Show thing youngin' who's boss, Chief!" A new bird emerged from the pokeball. It was a Farfetch'd, but many of its feathers were grey and an eye patch covered its right eye.

"Um… what the…"  
"Chief was one of my father's old pokemon," Eagle explained. "He's still fit enough to fight first tier battles though. Swords Dance!"

"Quaaa!" the old duck shouted as it began a strange looking dance while swinging its leek. Though bits of sand were slapping him in the face from the sandstorm, he seemed too focused to notice.

"He's going to get stronger, Larvitar! Tackle him now!" Cody shouted. He held his breath as the lizard charged the graying bird. This would truly be a battle of youth versus experience.

"Now Cut!" Eagle yelled. The Farfetch'd stopped its dance and sent the Larvitar flying backwards with a graceful swipe from his leek. Larvitar landed on his back, but managed to regain his footing. Chief's attacks weren't going to do a whole lot of damage to Larvitar's rocky hide, but the attack sure did send him upwards.

"Don't give in Larvitar! Horn Attack!"  
"Be ready to block it, Chief!" The duck did just that upon Larvitar's approach. The birds leek and Larvitar's horn made several parries like a scene out of a samurai film, but the old bird had more flexibility with his weapon, and had managed to hit Larvitar several times across the face."  
"Keep up the assault with a Fury Cutter!"

"Larvitar, you can't win that way! Chip Away at his defenses!" The lizard managed to hit the Farfetch'd several times with his hands and horn, but Chief still landed a direct attack on Larvitar's chest. He followed this swipe up with a second that seemed even more powerful. Larvitar was struggling now to keep to his feet. The old bird was now panting as well. The effects of his age and the sandstorm were catching up with him.

"Get out of that sand storm and use Air Cutter, stat!" Eagle called out. His face was full of worry for the old pokemon. For the first time in the battle, Chief flew up in the air out of the sandstorm and began flapping waves of air at the pokemon below. These waves didn't seem to damage Larvitar much, but it was an effective way for Chief to fight back while avoiding the sandstorm.

"He's out of range, Rock Throw!" Cody shouted. With another hop, Larvitar forced another large stone out of the ground and chucked it at the Farfetch'd. How the duck responded was incredible. With a swing of his leek, he smacked the rock back at Larvitar like a baseball player, all while remaining in air. The stone broke over Larvitar's horn, but the little lizard was stunned.

"He's dazed Chief! Aerial Ace!" Letting out another shout, the old bird flew down into the sandstorm and made a direct strike at Larvitar before flying out again.

_"Great, how is Larvitar going to avoid such a perfectly executed strike?" _Suddenly, Cody remembered what Laurence had said when they were watching Jared battle earlier that week. _"That was the Unfezant's error. That last minute shake up threw him off, and he missed."_

"Aerial Ace again!" Eagle commanded.

"Sand Attack!" Cody shouted in desperation. As the old duck flew down again, Larvitar managed to throw a clump of dirt into his good eye.

"Quaaa, quaaa!" the duck shouted in pain as he crashed into the ground. He was blinded and couldn't see.

"Fly out of there!" Eagle shouted in panic, but it was too late. Larvitar began to pound away at the old duck with his horn. Chief made a blind swing at Farfetch'd with his leek, but Larvitar ducked out of the way and knocked the leek out of the bird's wings. The old duck let out a shout of fear as he stumbled around looking for his leek, ignoring his trainer's commands to escape the sandy vortex. It was Larvitar who picked up the leek. Suddenly, a stylish idea popped into Cody's mind.

"Cut!" he shouted, and crossed his fingers that Larvitar would know what to do. Letting out a yell, Larvitar swung the leek at Chief and smacked him upwards on the chin. The old duck flew a few feet into the air and crashed into the ground.

"Farfetch'd is unable to battle! Larvitar is the winner!"

"Yes!" Cody shouted in happiness. Larvitar had just defeated his first enemy without the help of Mars or Bastion. The small crowd of trainers began to cheer. Even Larvitar held up both of his hands and let out a happy shout. However, as he did this, the sandstorm subsided and Larvitar fell to his knees. Holding a sandstorm for that long had drained him considerably. But the little pokemon made it to his feet once more. He still had fight left in him.

"I must say Cody," Eagle began, "you and your Larvitar have been quite impressive at making a comeback. But I highly doubt he can beat the son of Justice."

"Son of Jus- what?" Cody asked. Eagle didn't respond, but silently picked up his last pokeball and released the bird inside onto the field. A cute little eagle emerged. Cody recognized it as a Rufflet with its feathery mane and gray wings. He also remembered that Eagle's strongest pokemon used in higher tiered fights was a Braviary. This must have been that pokemon's hatchling.

"Stay frosty Larvitar! Horn Attack!"

"Stay out of the way and hone your claws Rufflet!" Eagle shouted. The tiny bird of prey began to fly at a ridiculously fast speed for such a little pokemon, and flew around the perimeter of the arena, dragging its claws along the metal, creating a screeching noise. Larvitar had stopped trying to chase the much faster bird, and instead tried to hit it with a thrown stone, but failed to make a hit. After completely circling the arena, the eaglet faced Larvitar from above and let out a shrill screech. His talons looked super sharp.

"Now, Fury Attack!" The little bird flew down to Larvitar's level and began to swipe at the lizard with his wings, beak and talons at blinding speed. Larvitar let out yelps of pain as the razor sharp talons scratched his skin, but he kept trying to fight back by any means necessary.

"Get him out of there, buddy! Screech!" Larvitar followed this orders and screamed at the top of his lungs. The sound caused Rufflet to cringe, giving Larvitar an opportunity to bash the bird with his horn. "Follow it up with another Horn Attack!"

"Rufflet, grab his horn." As soon as the words left Eagle's mouth, Rufflet flew forward at the charging Larvitar and grabbed his horns with his talons before carrying him above the arena. Larvitar flailed about as he was being carried above the arena, but his arms were too short to strike the eaglet. Suddenly, the Rufflet let go of the horn and Larvitar hit the floor with a thud.

"Finish him with a Brave Bird!" the Rufflet made a large circle above his opponent before dive bombing the fallen lizard. He hit Larvitar straight on the back and flew up again. Larvitar was unable to move.

"Larvitar is unable to battle. Rufflet is the winner!" More clapping from the audience. Cody returned Larvitar to his ball.

"I am so proud of you," he whispered to the pokeball Larvitar was in. Even if he lost the battle, his pokemon had shown so much improvement. But he wasn't planning on losing the battle. This Rufflet may have been one of the strongest pokemon he had fought thus far, but he was now sure that Bastion could win this. "Let's take this home Bastion!"

Bastion practically ran out of his pokeball to tackle the Rufflet, but the eaglet dodged this charge. The bird flew up behind the turtle and smacked him in the back of the head with his wings as he flew by.

"Don't lose your focus! Water Gun!"  
"Don't stop flying, Rufflet!" The little eagle out flew the Water Gun stream and closed in on the tiny turtle to scratch him with his talons. Three big cuts were visible on the Squirtle's face, but he looked serious now. The bird had awoken his inner rage.

"Loop into a wing attack!" Eagle shouted. The eaglet flew into a loop and aimed at Bastion.

"Bubble!" The Squirtle shot out a stream of bubbles in front of him to block the Rufflet's approach. The attack didn't seem to hurt the bird much, but it slowed him down by dampening his feathers. The attack served its purpose as Bastion managed to dodge the slowed bird with ease. "Now hit him with a Water Gun!" The blast hit the Rufflet in the wing, but it kept flying. Bastion then turned his back and waved his tail. The baited bird flew straight at the turtle's taunt, but this was all a part of the plan. Bastion had jumped several seconds before and with a flip, smacked the eaglet on the back with a downward Iron Tail. But even the crash into the ground was not enough to keep the Rufflet down. The bird stood up and let out a mean screech in an attempt to scare Bastion, but the turtle wouldn't budge. He looked incredibly badass with the trickles of blood running down his face.

"Focus Rufflet! Fury Attack!" Eagle yelled. The tiny eagle got back into the air and began making talon swipes at the turtle's face. Bastion managed to block his face with his arms, only to take multiple scratches on his upper limbs. But after enduring the razor claws for about ten seconds, Cody commanded Bastion to use Water Gun. A stream of water blasted out of his mouth and shot the Rufflet backwards. The little bird was beginning to struggle to stay airborne.

"Time to end this! Take him to the ground!" Cody shouted.

"Grab him!" Eagle yelled even louder. The Rufflet flew at the running Squirtle and grabbed the neck of the shell and flew to the top of the arena.

"Withdraw!" Cody called out. He wasn't sure if withdrawing would be enough though if too much shock passed through the shell when he hit the ground. Nevertheless, the turtle withdrew into his shell and the Rufflet dropped him above the arena to the floor below.

Thud!

Bastion managed to stand up with a dazed look as he wobbled about. He looked as though he didn't know where he was.

"Finish this Rufflet! Brave Bird!"

"Aqua Jet the bird!" Cody shouted in almost a scream, he was so panicked. Bastion pulled his head into his shell and shot water out the back holes. He shot straight up into the diving bird and the two collided in midair. The Rufflet took the hard end of the attack as he ricocheted off the shell into the air, trying desperately to stay in the air. "Wate Gun him!" Cody commanded. The Squirtle shot a large water blast at Eagle's frazzled pokemon and hit the struggling bird directly in the face. Losing its last bit of strength, it plummeted to the ground and crashed on the dirt floor.

"Rufflet is unable to battle! Squirtle is the winner! Therefore, victory goes to challenger Cody Storm!" Cheers and applause erupted from the small crowd. Cody breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned against the lowering platform. He had just barely won his first gym badge, but barely was good enough for him. Still in amazement, he walked on over to Bastion who was sitting on the ground in an exhausted slump. His face was covered in a light coat of sweat and blood, but he smiled back at his trainer. He knew he did well.

"You are one sick little bastard," Cody chuckled as he wiped the blood off the turtles face with a clean rag from his pocket. "This is gonna sting a little bit, champ," he said quietly as he sprayed a potion on the Squirtle's face. The turtle winced, but his smile didn't leave. It was as if he knew that this battle was a big deal to his trainer, and therefore, it was a big deal to him too.

"That was probably my favorite first tier battle in awhile," Eagle said as he approached the boy and his Squirtle. "You have a lot of potential, kid. You and your pokemon showed cleverness and skill. I can see you going far if you keep up your training."

"Thanks Eagle," Cody replied, beaming.

"Don't thank me for the truth, kid. Here is your badge." He handed Cody a small grayish badge shaped like a tornado and a small sum for winning the fight. The badge glistened in the sunlight that shone through the dome. "You can pick up a case for that at the front desk. I think their only five dollars, so it's a good deal. Anyway, that badge now signifies that your next gym battle you will compete in will be second tier. Also, I want you to have this." Eagle pulled a small cube and placed it in Cody's other hand. The young trainer looked at in in confusion for a moment.

"Is this a TM?" Cody questioned.

"Yes, it's the TM for Aerial Ace. You just open the little thing up and expose it to your pokemon's skin and they can learn moves that are typically unnatural for them through simple mutations. Completely safe. Just remember that certain TMs only work on certain pokemon, so make sure you do some research before you try to use it."

"Okay, thanks." Cody put the TM in his pocket for safe keeping.

"Well, I have to get my pokemon to the nurse, so… good battling with you." Eagle began to walk away.

"Actually, I have a question for you," Cody stated. Eagle turned around and came back to listen. "An acquaintance of mine said you used a Skarmory in your battle with him, so I gotta ask… where can I catch one?"

Eagle gave him a funny look. "Junior, you got some tough pokemon, but they still aren't tough enough to catch a wild Skarmory. Those things are vicious and will tear you up if you so much as look at them funny."

"So… there's no hope for me right now?" Cody asked glumly.

Eagle sighed. "There is one way that might work. If you travel out to St. Anthony's Mountains in the west, there are Skarmory nests out there. It's the closest place to Tempest Valley where Skarmory live. Though it's illegal to catch baby pokemon in a nest, it's legal to catch chicks that leave the nest. So if you're lucky and find a Skarmory chick without its mother in attendance, it's fair game."

"That sounds easy enough," Cody replied confidently.

"Unfortunately, that IS the easy part," Eagle continued with a weak smile. "You see, raising a Skarmory chick is a taxing process. You have to be extremely devoted and serious about this in order to pull it off correctly. If you succeed, you'll have a strong pokemon and an incredible bond. But it's not a challenge for the weak of heart."

"I can handle it," Cody said, though he had no idea what he was getting into.

"Okay then, I'll look up your email in your paperwork and send you a link from a professional website. If you want to continue with this plan, good luck to you, but you can't take this lightly."

Cody nodded in response. He was ready to take on any challenge even if he could not foresee the trouble it would cause him.

* * *

It was the evening now. Cody relaxed on one of the sofas in the pokemon center as he looked over some maps of the west. Going out to St. Anthony's would take roughly a month of time away from the gym trek, but to him, it was worth the investment. He was just worried on whether or not he would be able to convince Heather to take the detour from the road to the next gym.

Another worry was the process of raising the Skarmory. He had reviewed the webpage that Eagle had sent him and he was shocked at what he had read. It really would not be easy, especially since a Skarmory chick would not even be able to battle standard pokemon until it got older. The whole thing really was a gamble, but Cody was willing to take the risk.

He looked over at Larvitar who was lounging next to him on the couch. The little lizard had taken a beating in the gym, but he looked okay now. The nurse told Cody to keep the pokemon off the field for a day to let him heal up, but Larvitar didn't even look injured anymore.

"You were really prime out there," Cody told his pokemon. The Larvitar looked back at him with a tiny smile. He had gone from cowardly to fighting machine in just a matter of weeks, and he seemed proud of himself.

"So much for taking the night off," Heather's voice came from behind. "It looks like you're working to me."

"It never ends," Cody sighed.

"He's right you know," came another voice. It was Jared. He had been hanging out with Heather all day after her win in the gym. "Being a trainer is a full time job."

"See, somebody agrees with me," Cody chuckled as he went back to looking at the maps.

"Oh come on Cody. We won our matches. We should be out celebrating!"

"I'm too busy celebrating with my bro right now," Cody responded as he pat Larvitar on the back. "He did such an amazing job today in the gym."

"Yeah, he really has improved by a colossal amount," Heather admitted. "You've really done good work with him."

"Yeah…" Cody replied as he looked over at his pokemon. "I really have."  
"Hey Heather, I going to get something to drink. I'll meet you back here in a few minutes," Jared said before he walked away. Once he was gone, Heather sat down next to Cody.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something, but I've been putting it off," she began.

"Okay, shoot."

"Okay, well…" she paused. "Jared is going to Kito Grove too for his next badge, and… well, if you're not opposed to it… I was wondering if you'd be okay with him coming with us."

"Why would I be opposed to it?" Cody asked, though both him and Heather already knew the answer. "He's a good trainer, and we could probably learn a lot from him."

"Okay, great!" Heather replied happily. "He'll be glad to hear that. I'm gonna go find him now, so I'll see you later." She got up and began to walk away.

"Sure thing," he sighed. _"Oh Christ, I'm going to hate myself." _He looked back at his Larvitar to distract himself from the impending social doom that was about to befall him. The lizard returned the stare.

"You guys make it all worth it," he said quietly as he stroked the Larvitar's forehead. "We're gonna reach greatness someday. You're gonna be the next big thing. Like Heather said, you've gotten so much better by colossal amounts." He stopped for the moment and ran the word through his head again. _"Colossal…"_

* * *

** DAYUM, that chapter was long. If I'm gonna make all three on three battles that long, how am I gonna do six vs. six? Oh lordy, this is gonna be fun. **

** Anyway, I hope this was a fun chapter to read. So review, especially if you have been reading the story and haven't reviewed already. I'm glad I've been hearing from new people so far.**

** Tell your friends and peace out homies.**


	11. Chapter 11: Alpha Male

**Reviews from the readers:**

_and this means that Cody is going to have six (or more) Pokemon, right?_

**Yup, he's gonna have quite a few. There will be more than six.**

_I do not like Jared, he seems like a nice guy, but the fact that he is rivaling Cody for Heather's love is ** me off._

**Awesome, I'm doing a great job already then. If I can keep this up, you're going to despise him later on.**

_Is Bastion going to evolve soon? _

**Right now, Bastion is just a badass little pokemon. But will he evolve? Yes. Someday. There will be no super Pikachu in this story. But soon? You'll see.**

_You need more supporting characters, or some awesome reacurring ones... And when are we going to see the infamous pokemon gangsters again?_

**You mean like Frank (gangster)? He won't be gone forever. But other characters... Laurence is obviously Blue to Cody's Red, but he's going to be less frequent as a present character and more of a confidant since he sort of acts as Cody's older brother. There will be future supporting characters, but many of them won't show up for awhile. If I do ever need an OC, I'll ask the frequent readers, but I can't think of a good place where I need them right now...**

_LARVITAR WAS SO EPIC!_

**Yeah, that battle was mainly to show off Larvitar's coming to skills.**

_Daaa-yum, it takes that long to raise a skamowee just to a BEGINNING to fighting level? Gonna be one hell of a ride. :/_

**Look at it this way: Cody's pokemon when caught were just young; but they were not infants. An infant Skarmory may be able to hold its own against young pokemon. But you'll see why it wouldn't be able to fight higher level pokemon until later when I get to that point in the story. It'll all make sense.**

**_Note to the readers_: **_Due to the growing number of pokemon and nicknames, I will now be listing all of the pokemon each trainer has with them currently prior the chapter._

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwag), Feathers (Pidgey), Nadine (Nidoran [F])_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Nidorino, others?_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Alpha Male**

"Wake up," a voice said, penetrating Cody's sleep. He rubbed his eyes and turned on his phone. The display read 7:05 AM.

"Five more minutes. It's seven," he moaned as he buried his head in his sleeping bag.

"Look, this whole detour thing was your idea," Jared continued. "So if we get up now, we can make good time. It's going to take two or three weeks to get to St. Anthony's, and we can shave off a few days if we go fast enough."

"You're not going to let me go back to sleep, are you Jared?" Cody sighed as he sat up in his sleeping bag.

"Nope. So if you will, go get some water for us to boil," he asked before walking away.

"Sure thing, Adolf," Cody muttered once he knew Jared wouldn't be able hear him. He slowly crawled out of his sleeping bag before rolling it up. It had been like this since they left Tempest Valley two days ago. Jared had seized control of everything: from where they slept to when they ate. It was getting pretty obnoxious, since there was no compromising anything with him. Cody would have said something, but Heather didn't seem to mind, so he just tried to ignore it.

"Come on, Bastion." He groaned as he picked up the big pot and began to make his way to the stream. As the two walked, he began to think about how bored he felt now that everything was under strict control. Everything seemed a lot more entertaining when combined with spontaneity.

"Okay, grab some breakfast." he told the turtle as he bent down to fill up the pot at the stream. The only issue Cody had managed to get his way with was that of going to the St. Anthony's Mountains before Kito Grove. He had made a good argument for the detour, saying that it would be a good training experience for both him and Heather, and it would give them more chances to catch pokemon and hone their skills before the next gym. Heather decided she would be okay with it, but Jared wasn't sold. However, he complied since Heather did. He was already whipped.

"You ready?" Cody asked his Squirtle. Bastion nodded as he gulped down the last of the minnows he caught before returning to his trainer's side. The two of them began to make the walk back to camp. "This too shall pass," Cody murmured to his pokemon. Bastion looked up at him and grunted as if he understood. "If Jared's around for awhile, I'll get used to him." In time, dealing with Jared would become a necessary skill for survival.

* * *

"Are you sure you can't battle?" the cute strawberry-blonde trainer asked again.

"Sorry, one of us would, but we really need to get going," Jared answered. He urged Heather and Cody to keep walking into the forest. As they passed the trainer, Cody looked back at her disappointed face and gave shrug as if to say "sorry."

"Poor girl," Heather sighed. "She really wanted to battle."

"Yeah, well, we need to keep moving," Jared stated. "It's almost five, and we need to put in a few miles and try to get to a good camping spot before it gets to dark."

"Oh come on Jared, battles are battles and we need the experience," Cody complained. This was the second battle they had turned down in the last hour.

"I know, but we've been battling all morning and afternoon. You gotta walk sometime if you want to get anywhere."

"Yes, I get that," Cody continued. "But that's an easy bit of extra cash and experience back there just waiting for us to take it. Why not do so?"

"Well Cody, if we weren't traveling out to St. Anthony's just so you could catch a Skarmory, we'd have a lot more time to battle other trainers," Jared responded smartly.

"Look, I don't see the issue here," Cody replied in an annoyed tone. "How long did it take you to train to be ready for your second badge?"

"Well, I went after the Terra badge second, so…" he paused to think. "About three months. It's been about three months or so between each of my badges thus far."

"Okay, three months," Cody repeated. "The trip to St. Anthony's is only going to detour us a month, give or take a few days, so we'd make it down there in three months even with the extension. That gives all of us an extra month to train, and Heather and I will have extra chances to catch additional team members."

"Yes, I understand, but you have to add in a week for any mishaps that may occur along the way."

"You worry too much," Cody sighed. "Sometimes you have to live in the present if you want to have any fun."  
"And sometimes you need to plan ahead if you want to get anything done," Jared retorted. "Besides, I don't understand why you want a Skarmory so badly, especially if you have to catch a chick that you won't be able to use in high end battles for several months."

"It will pay off," Cody answered in a confident voice. "And having Skarmory will awesome. You look at the best bird trainers on earth, and you'll notice that many of them use a Skarmory on their teams. They make incredible anchors."

"Yes, but you don't need a Skarmory to do well. There are plenty of other flying pokemon that can do well on your team. My Fearow does the job quite well."  
"Okay Jared, I'll play your game," Cody said. "If you were me, what would you catch?"

"Well…" Jared paused to think again as he looked around the path they were walking on. "You could catch that Natu," he suggested, pointing at a tiny green bird sitting in the tree. It was watching them pensively.

"How did you spot him up there?" Heather asked. "He's so puny."

"I have an eye for spotting pokemon," Jared subtly bragged. "You develop that when you're out here long enough."  
"Wow, that's so cool," she replied in wonder.

_"I think I'm going to be sick," _Cody thought to himself at the sound of Heather's amazement. "Look, I would really like to catch a Skarmory. I don't see anything wrong with tha-"

"But Natu are part psychic," Jared interrupted. "You ever see a Skarmory use Psychic?"

"You're not selling me on this," Cody answered flatly. "I would rather have a Skarmory than a Natu."

_[What? I'm not good enough for you?]_ the Natu asked through telepathy.

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying-"

"I think you _are_ saying that this Natu isn't good enough for you," Jared interjected again. "At least try to catch it. He's just sitting there, practically begging you to."

_[No I'm not,] _the psychic bird corrected.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on Jared, you said we didn't have time to battle, and now you want us to stop so I can catch this thing?" Cody asked smartly.

"Yes, because if you catch it, we can forget about going to St. Anthony's and start heading to Kito City," Jared answered. "Now go on. Catch it!"

_[No, please don't,] _the bird stated._ [I taste terrible.]_

"See, he tastes terrible," Cody repeated. "Let's keep going. He doesn't want me to catch him."

"Cody, most pokemon don't want to be caught at first. Besides, you're not going to eat him." Jared looked up at the Natu. "He's not going to eat you. He wants to catch and train you."

_[You expect me to believe that garbage? I know you want to eat me and I'm not falling for it. I didn't hatch yesterday. You all can f*** off.] _With that, the bird hopped off the branch and flew away.

"Wow… why are all psychic pokemon so snarky?" Cody asked his traveling companions. Neither of them answered. They couldn't believe that a wild pokemon would have that kind of vocabulary "See, that's why I didn't want to catch him. He wasn't that nice. If I'm going to have a pokemon that can talk with me like that, it has to be one that's agreeable."

"Well, my point still stands," Jared said. "There are many good pokemon you can catch, so why waste all of our time just to catch one pokemon that's incredibly out of the way? That's just selfish."

"Well, I can just go myself and you two can go straight to Kito Grove. I don't care."

"You know what, that sounds like a good idea," Jared agreed with a pinch of animosity in his voice.

"Boys, boys, quit it," Heather snapped. She turned to Jared. "Look, I don't mind going out to the mountains for a few weeks. We're already ahead of schedule as it-"  
"Heather," Jared interrupted, "You're just saying that so he doesn't throw a tantrum. You can't let him have everything he wants."

"Hello? What do you think I've been doing for the past two days?" Cody shot back. "You come into our group and take control of everything. When we wake up, when we eat, how much we battle… It never ends! And I've been trying to not say anything so I don't cause any problems, but I'm saying it now. You're so goddamn controlling!"

"Look, I've been doing this longer than you and I know what I'm do-"  
"We were doing just fine before you," Cody cut him off. "And you're just saying that because you claim that you're a better trainer than us that you can tell us what to do? Well how about you put your money where your mouth is."

"What are you saying?" Jared asked.

"You and me. Battle. My three boys versus three of yours. If we win, we don't have to follow this ridiculous day schedule anymore."

"You can't be serious," Jared laughed. "Look Cody, I've seen you battle. You're good, no question about it. But both you and your pokemon are young and inexperienced. I don't think you'd even be able to beat one of my pokemon, let alone all three."

"Let's sweeten the deal then," Cody continued. He was in a gambling mood. "You're so sure that I can't defeat one of your pokemon. How about we keep the original bet, but also, if I manage to defeat at least one of your pokemon, I get control of where we travel. If you sweep me, you get control of that too. You up for that?"

Jared stared off into the trees for a moment with a contemplative look on his face before turning back to face the challenge. "You're either really arrogant or really gutsy. I can't figure out which, but I'll humor you. You're on!"

"Okay then!" Cody answered with a confident smile. He had a good feeling about this. A fight against Jared may be an uphill battle, but it was a mountain he was willing to try and climb.

"I'm going to look for a clearing then so we don't have to battle on the path," Jared said before heading into the woods to find a good spot. After he left, Heather looked at Cody as if he were insane.

"Are you crazy? What are you trying to accomplish?" she asked in a frustrated whisper.

"Yes I might be and I'm standing up for myself and my ability." Cody stated, answering both questions.

"You can't beat him Cody. Remember when I battled him? He swept my entire team with just his Croconaw. How do you expect to win? He has five badges and you only have one."

"Your face gets hilarious when you're flustered," Cody chuckled, just to see what reaction he could draw from her. "Look, I know my chances are slim, but I only need to beat one of his pokemon if I want to keep going to St. Anthony's. I can deal with all of these regulations as long as I can get my Skarmory."

Heather sighed. "I guess this is why you and Laurence don't travel together. Too much testosterone."

"That might be it," Cody admitted. He took off his backpack and pulled out the camcorder. "Record this please. I want a copy of me beating Jared to give to my grandkids."

"Whatever Cody," Heather replied with a roll of her eyes. To her, this whole thing seemed incredibly childish, but she wasn't about to get between the boys as they locked horns.

"Okay, I found a spot!" Jared shouted from somewhere the thicket.

"Okay, we're coming!" Cody shouted out in reply. Heather and him followed the sound of the voice. They found him in a clearing big enough for a battle. "So three pokemon, no switching, set on the bets we already made. Does that sound alright?"  
"Perfect. Pick a pokemon," Jared answered as he picked a ball off his belt.

"Alright then," Cody said as he chose a ball from his belt as well. As long as he could knock off at least one of Jared's pokemon, he would be happy with the result.

"Let's get this over with," Jared said, then both trainers threw their pokeballs onto the field. Cody had chosen Colossal to enter first, since the Larvitar had been on a roll lately. But his expression fell as soon as he saw the pokemon Jared had chosen.

"Seeeiii!" his Servine cried. The little leaf covered grass pokemon stood daintily on both feet. Cody felt his stomach turn. Of course Jared would start with a pokemon that could elementally trump all the members of his current team.

"_The sooner I get that Skarmory, the better," _he thought to himself, but he was beginning to realize that catching a Skarmory may be out of the picture now. "Horn Attack!"

"Out of the way and use Growth!" Jared shouted. The grass snake dropped to her belly and slithered out of Colossal's way at lightning speed. As she slithered, her body began to absorb sunlight and the leafy growths on her body began to grow larger. She was only going to get stronger from here on out. "Now Vine Whip!" The Servine shot two vines from her sides that began to whip at the lizard, who tried to fend them off, but to little avail.

"Gore her before she's in front of you!" Cody ordered. Colossal started running at the circling snake at the right time and smacked her with his horn. The snake let out a cry, but reacted by wrapping around her foe, trying to strangle him. "Chip Away!"  
Using his natural defensive maneuver, Colossal began to pound on Servine until she released him. However, she had left a seed-like residue on the Larvitar's body.

"That's a Leech Seed! Get it off you, buddy!" Colossal tried to scrape some of the seeds off him, but they weren't coming off. As he was trying to get the residue off, Servine struck with a tackle. Colossal grabbed her after she struck and threw her across the grass, but he seemed more drained then he should have been at this point in the battle. The experience of the Servine and the Leech Seed on his body were weakening him rapidly.

"Start up a Sandstorm!"

"Leaf Tornado, now!" As Colossal started a sandstorm with all of the field's loose dirt, Servine countered by rapidly spinning in place. She spawned a tiny tornado of flying leaves and pieces of grass that was sent at the Larvitar. Even within the sandstorm, the slicing leaves and the leech seed were weakeninging him even more. Suddenly, he fell to his knees and the sandstorm fell as well.

"Now's your chance! Leaf Blade!" Jared commanded. With a loud shout, Servine struck the fallen Larvitar the razor sharpened growths on her sides. Colossal fell limp after that.

"Good try Colossal," Cody said with a weak smile as he returned the lizard to his ball. He looked over at Jared's Servine. She had taken a few hits, but it looked as though she could withstand a lot more.

"Bring the pain, Mars!" Cody shouted. Mars popped out of his ball and immediately laid a scratch on the Servine, who returned the favor with a mean glare in her eyes. Mars stood back in fear as he was being leered at.

"Now Vine Whip!" The Servine shot out a vine that wrapped around the Diglett's body while a second vine began to whip at the moles face. Cody began to panic. Mars may have been a spitfire, but he wouldn't have the endurance to withstand these grass attacks forever.

"Try to dig!" Cody ordered. Mars dug underground, but the grass snake refused to let go. "Now wrap her up!" Mars popped out of the ground and jumped out of the ground and over the Servine's back. The vine was still wrapped around him, so as he crossed the Servine's back and reentered the ground, the vine pulled the snake against the ground. She was pinned.

"That was great Mars! Slash to the face!" The mole reappeared at the Servine's face and took a swipe at it with his claws."

"Cut the line Servine!" Suddenly, the vine popped out of Servine's side, and she retaliated against Mars with an unexpected Leaf Blade. Mars fell over and couldn't recover.

"Dammit," Cody muttered under his breath. Mars had acted brilliantly with what he was given, but he still failed to severely weaken Servine. "Nice try Mars!" Cody called out as he returned the mole. He was feeling incredibly uncomfortable now. He was one pokemon away from skipping St Anthony's. "Come on Bastion, daddy wants a Skarmory!" he shouted as he released his last pokemon. Bastion confidently stared down the grass snake. Before he was given a command, he taunted the Servine with a Tail Whip.

"Don't fall for it Servine!" Jared urged, but the snake didn't hear him. She immediately charged the turtle.

"Iron Tail to the back!" Cody shouted. The Squirtle jumped into a flip and struck the charging Servine on the back with a metallic tail. A sickening crunching sound was heard as his tail and her back connected. The hit looked critical.

"Get up and leech him!" Jared commanded, panic slightly. The snake regained her composure and wrapped herself around the tiny turtle's body.

"Rapid Spin!" Cody shouted. Bastion pulled into his shell and spun the snake off his body before she could leave any seeds. "Now Aqua Jet!"  
"Leaf Blade him now!" Jared ordered at the same time. As the Servine charged the Squirtle, Bastion pulled into his shell and shot his body at the snake. The shell hit her in the face and sent her back a few feet into the ground. She managed to stand up, but before she could do anything more, Bastion hit her with another Aqua Jet, slamming her into a nearby tree. She was unable to roll back onto her belly.

"Yes! Great job Bastion!" Cody cheered. "Looks like we're going where I want, Jared," he shouted across the clearing with an uplifted tone. Bastion had taken everybody by surprise, including his opponent.

"You may have won the battle, Storm," Jared stated as he withdrew his Servine, "but you have a snowball's chance in hell at winning the war." He picked another pokeball off his belt. "Finish this, Charmeleon!"

The flame lizard let out a roar as he exited his pokeball. Cody flinched as the heat that exuded from the Charmeleon's body brushed against his cheeks. Even though Bastion had an elemental advantage, Cody knew from watching Jared battle that Charmeleon was hiss strongest pokemon.

"Water Gun now!" Cody shouted. Bastion hit the Charmeleon directly in the chest with a blast of water. Even though the bigger pokemon cringed at the attack, he looked more pissed off than hurt.

"Metal Claw," Jared ordered coolly. Charmeleon rushed Bastion and began to swipe at him with his arms as they glowed silver. Bastion managed to dodge a few of these using his speed, but the final swipe hit him in the chest. Despite the powerful slash, the little pokemon got back up.

"Iron Tail to the face!" Cody shouted as he tried to counter the steel attacks with one of Bastion's. But as the Squirtle leapt to strike the Charmeleon in the face with his tail of steel, the Charmeleon parried the tail with his claw, creating a loud clanging sound. The lizard's attack was more powerful, and his force sent Bastion flying into the ground.

"Don't give up Bastion! Aqua Tackle!" Cody shouted. Bastion's shell flew at the Charmeleon and smacked it in the face, but the lizard grabbed the turtle with both clawed hands and held him away from his body at arm's length.

"Dragon Rage!" The Charmeleon followed his trainer's orders and shot a bluish flame straight at the front of the Squirtle's shell. The turtle yelped in pain as he flew out of the Charmeleon's arms. It was a direct hit, yet Bastion still made it to his feet. He was wobbling though.

"Now finish him with a Flame Burst!"  
"Defend yourself with Water Gun," Cody shouted fearfully. The attacks collided as they left their pokemon's mouths, but Bastion was too weak to overpower the flames. In a last effort to save himself, he withdrew into his shell, but the Charmeleon kept breathing fire at the fallen turtle's shell. When the flames stopped, Bastions scorched shell was sitting within a burnt circle of grass from where the fire hit. The Squirtle slowly pulled his limbs and head out of the shell, but he was unable to get to his feet.

"Good try Bastion," Cody sighed as he returned his final pokemon. "Looks like you win," he admitted to the victor.

"Yes, I told you that you couldn't beat me yet," he chuckled.

"Maybe not, but I still beat your Servine. That means we're going to St. Anthony's," Cody replied. The loss wasn't completely sour.

"Okay, you're right about that. You get to be in charge of the map. Just don't take us anywhere stupid, okay?"

"I'll try my best." Cody replied sarcastically. He walked over to Heather to get his camcorder.

"You did better than I did," she said to him in an attempt to raise his spirits.

"Maybe so, but it still wasn't good enough," he murmured. He now had a rival that was even stronger than Laurence, but that was just another bar to reach.

* * *

"It's so much easier starting a fire with a fire pokemon around," Heather commented as the fire began to pick up. Jared's Charmeleon stood casually near the flames like it was no big deal.

"Yes, it saves a lot of time," Jared agreed. "I almost forget how to start a fire by hand now."

"Okay, so what are we eating?" Heather asked. "We just gonna do canned food again?"

"No, I think I'll get us a treat tonight. I'm going to take Mightyena out hunting. There are probably some Bidoof over near the river that we can catch. That sounds like good eating, doesn't it Cody?" he added at the end while flashing a cocky smile.

"Sure, that sounds just dandy," Cody replied as he returned the smile with one of his own.

"Glad to hear it." He picked a pokeball off his belt and released a fearsome looking hound to his side. "I'm gonna take the flashlight with me, so I'll leave Charmeleon here to keep the fire going. I'll be back in about thirty minutes." After that, he and his dog walked into the forest.

_"It won't be long," _Cody thought to himself as his new rival disappeared into the woods. _"Someday, I'll be the top dog."_

The silence was only broken by the crackling of the fire and the occasional hoot of the owls in the trees. Cody looked across the fire to see Jared's Charmeleon sitting and staring into the flames. Outside of battle, the fire pokemon seemed very intense, yet quiet. His gaze drifted over to Heather, who was also pensively staring at the fire, as the flame's light bounced of her hair and skin. Nadine and Feathers were both nestled on her lap. Somnos was in his pokeball. Cody sort of felt bad for the little tadpole, since he couldn't spend a whole lot of time outside of his pokeball with his trainer due to his limitations in a dry environment. The sooner he evolved into a Poliwhirl, the better.

Cody's own pokemon were sleeping next to him. With a gentle tap, he woke Colossal up and had the pokemon sit in front of him so he could clean the pokemon's rocky skin. Taking a rag out of his pack and dampening it with a little bit of canteen water, he began to scrub the lizard's skin. The Larvitar wasn't a big fan of swimming, so this was the best way to clean him up.

"You've been quiet tonight," Heather said to start up a conversation. "What's up?"

"Not much, just thinking," Cody answered as he continued to wash the little Larvitar.

"It's okay Cody. Losing can be a very humbling experience," she teased.

"Oh please, I've lost before," Cody defended himself. "I'm okay with losing. We put up a good fight and we're still going to St. Anthony's, so it's all good. I'll beat him someday."

"Whatever you say Cody," Heather chuckled. There was a pause before she spoke again. "You don't like him that much, do you?"

"Who Jared?" Cody asked. "No, I'm cool with him. He can be a little hard to deal with, but he's a good trainer, so I respect him for that."

"But you don't like him otherwise?" Heather asked again. A bit of disappointment was in her tone.

"Does it really matter?" Cody questioned. He didn't want to say anything that would upset Heather, but he didn't want to lie to her either. "You seem to like the guy enough that you want him to travel with us to the mountains and to Kito Grove, and I'm a reasonable enough person to accept that."

"Well, I thank you for that then," Heather said. "You're a good friend, Cody. Just promise me that if I ever fall in love with a pokemon that I haven't met yet, we can take a detour so I can catch it, okay?"

"Deal," he replied. He was finished cleaning up Colossal, and the Larvitar dozed off again, this time resting his head on his trainer's knee. "Really though, I'm okay with him. He kind of reminds me of my older brother: serious and obsessive, just to a more reasonable degree I guess."

"You mean Derrick?" Heather asked.

"Yeah, him," Cody answered indifferently. He wished he hadn't brought it up now.

"How come you never talk about him?" Heather asked curiously.

"Why should I?" Cody answered the question with one of his own.

"Well, you always talk about how your dad is pulling for you to succeed as a trainer and that your mom worries about every little thing. But you never seem to mention your brother. I know you said it's because he left your family, but I just…" Her voice trailed off. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm being a little bit nosy right now when it's none of my-"

"I've brought him up before, so I might as well tell you since you're curious," he interrupted. He felt as though he owed it to her to tell her about Derrick since his brother was connected to the awkward situation involving the two of them. "You see… my dad was a trainer when he was our age. He was pretty good. Got ten badges and competed in minor league tournaments and stuff like that. Of course, he wanted to be a journalist, so he stopped being a full-time trainer and went on to college. He's got a good job and everything now, but he still loves pokemon, and he always encouraged Derrick and I to consider becoming trainers, at least on the casual level."

"Wow, that's awesome," Heather exclaimed. "Wish my parents were that understanding. You know what my mom wants me to become? A dietician. Seriously, I can't even control what I eat. Why does she think I'd be good at telling others?"

Cody laughed. "Well, my mom is the same way. She wasn't so happy about Derrick becoming a trainer, but she accepted it since my dad was all for it and stuff." He stopped for a moment. "That's when it all began. You see, Derrick was a really good trainer. He was extremely passionate about becoming the best, but it caused him to neglect everything else. He stopped calling home, he stopped staying in touch with his friends… even the few times he was home, all he ever did was study pokemon or train his own. It became an obsession. Eventually after a few years, we got an email from him telling us that he wasn't ever coming home because he decided to devote himself to his training. Of course, that hurt our entire family, and then my mom and dad started fighting all the time… As for me, when it finally came time for me to get a pokemon, my mother wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't even let me keep one just to train back home, because she said it would be a slippery slope and I'd end up like Derrick." He paused again. "They've been fighting a lot more ever since I left. I don't know anything about marriage, but it doesn't look good for theirs."

Silence overtook once more. The stillness was broken as Nadine hopped off Heather's lap and began to sniff around.

"I'm sorry, that sounds pretty rough," Heather admitted. "Do you have any idea where he is right now?"

"Not a clue," Cody sighed. "He was actually in the Diamond Beach tournament last year. Made it to the semi-finals too, but he wasn't in this year's tourney listing, so I don't know. For all I know, he could be in Sinnoh or something. But I don't care anymore. He's a selfish bastard, considering how we all supported him and he decided to abandon us. It's because of him that all this is happening." In his mind, Cody also believed he was also partly responsible for the trauma after leaving home on this journey, but he knew it was too late to change anything. He could only move forward.

"Well, I'm sorry," Heather repeated. "That sounds awful. To be honest, I hope I'm not doing the same thing to my parents by leaving without their permission."

"As long as you stay in touch, I'm sure they'll be fine. You're a good person. I'm sure they realize that."

"You are too, Cody," she replied softly. "It's awful that you have to live in your brother's shadow like this." She paused as she tried to think of what to say next. "Just remember that if you want to talk about anything, I'm here for you, okay?"

Okay, thanks Heather," he said with a small smile. It was nice talking with her. His attention drifted over to Nadine who was sniffing a weed. The rabbit took a bite out of one of its leaves and suddenly, the weed sprung out of the ground.

"Priii! Priii!" the little Oddish shouted in pain before running down the trail away from the fire. The hungry Nadine gave chase.

"Dibs," Heather shouted before following her pokemon out of the camp with Feathers fluttering by her side.

"Have fun." Cody said, though he doubted she could hear him. It was just him now in the clearing with his pokemon and Jared's Charmeleon, who hadn't looked away from the fire the entire time.

"I'm glad I can talk with her," he said to himself quietly. "She's worth enough to hang out with, even with Jared around." He knew that life on the road was going to be different, but adversity was only going to make him stronger.

* * *

** Hehehe. Controversy for the win.**

** You see that link below this paragraph? If you press it, you can REVIEW this story. Pretty cool, huh? If you haven't done so yet, I recommend trying it out right now. Think about how cool that would be. Thanks to all who left reviews and a special thanks to MagikarpMaster for selflessly taking on the role of editor. You're such a bro. Later gators!**


	12. Chapter 12: Of Birds and Beasts

**Reviews from the readers:**

_I just found this story and I love it! Read all 11 chapters in one night :)._

**Eleven chapters in one night? Wow, that's pretty hardcore. Anyway, I'm glad you like it so far. With all these new readers, I'll try to update as much as possible.**

_That Natu. 'TWAS HILARIOUS!_

**Glad you think so. I was thinking about making him a reoccurring character, but I can't think of any new material for him to be comic relief, lol.**

**Again, thanks to MagikarpMaster for editing.**

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwag), Feathers (Pidgey), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Oddish._

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Nidorino, Fearow, Mightyena _

* * *

**Chapter 12: Of Birds and Beasts**

It was a gloomy noon in the middle of September. The sky was cloudy, but a few rays of sun poked through. The three teens were not focused on the sky itself though, but what was sitting on the horizon. Multiple gorgeous mountains littered the background as the field stretched out from the base.

"Wow, they're beautiful," Heather gasped. "None of the mountains we've passed have been this beautiful."  
"No kidding," Cody replied as he looked over at Jared, who was also in awe. "Admit it, this is worth it even if I don't catch that Skarmory."  
"Oh, you're catching that Skarmory," Jared said as he snapped back to reality. "We traveled too far out of the way to get here, so you better make it worth the trip, buddy."

"Glad to know you're on my side," Cody chuckled. "If things go well, I'll have my catch by nightfall, and we'll get out of here as soon as you want. Let's get going."

The three began to walk towards the mountains, but they soon realized that the cliffs were a lot farther away then they looked. It took the group an hour or so to reach the base of the mounds; so they decided to stop for lunch on a giant stone next to the towering mounds before making the ascent.

"So why do they call these the St. Anthony Mountains?" Heather asked as she sipped on her canteen. Her newest party member, Oddish was busy dancing around at her feet. The weed pokemon was very hyperactive.

"Saint Anthony was a Catholic priest who lived in one of the mountain towns," Jared began. "He was supposedly a really charitable man and what not and-"  
"Aren't all Christians supposed to be charitable?" Cody asked as he read one of the pages in his Pokemon Field Guide. He was only half paying attention to what Jared was saying.

"Yes, but he must have done something if they made him a sai-"

"Don't you have to perform a miracle to become a saint?" Cody interrupted again. This time, he was trying to get on Jared's nerves for the fun of it, and he succeeded.

"Yeah, I… shut up Cody, I don't know. I'm a Baptist!" He regained his composure and began to speak again. "Anyway, he's the patron saint of hikers and mountain pokemon."

"They have a saint for those things?" Cody questioned.

"Yeah, Catholicism pretty much has a saint for everything," Heather answered. "Jared, how do you know all this?"

"Yeah," Cody joined in. "For a non-catholic, you sure know a lot about this guy."

"I did some research when we stayed the night in Hettimox Town." He then looked up to see both of the other trainers giving him strange looks. "What? Somebody should be doing research about the places we go."  
_Crap, he's actually right for once. _Cody let out a small, defeated groan and went back to reading the page he was on. It was basic information and tactics of Skarmory. "Get this," he said, getting the attention of his companions, "Skarmory's skin and feathers become tough from exposure to thorns and briars that the mother makes the nest from."  
"Oh please Cody," Jared scoffed. "Anybody who knows anything about Skarmory knows tha-"

"Shut it, this gets better," Cody interrupted. "It also says the first winter is the most important in the development of a Skarmory because the cold air and snow not only toughens the skin, but also starts the process of their armor growth. However during this time, some Skarmory chicks are not able to withstand the freezing temperatures, and die, which removes their genes from the gene pool."

"Ugh," Heather exclaimed. "That's awful."  
"That's Darwinism," Cody corrected.

"That's just great," Jared groaned. "Cody, what if you catch a Skarmory that can't survive the winter?"

"Don't worry Jared, I'll find one that can withstand the winter," Cody replied coolly. He wasn't worried at all yet.

"How do you know that?" Jared continued. "What makes you so sure you will?"  
"What makes you so sure I won't?" Cody questioned smartly in an attempt to get Jared to stop asking questions. It worked, but Cody knew that what he was doing was a huge gamble. Of course, he'd have to win this lottery, or else Jared would never let him live it down that they wasted so much time coming to the mountains.

A loud orchestra of noises came from the field. It sounded as though a bunch of trumpets were on a stampede. The group turned their heads to see a large herd of elephants charging into the field. The herd eventually slowed to a halt and began grazing.

"Wow…look at all the Donphan…" Heather stated in awe. "I've never seen this many in one place."  
"Me neither…" Cody agreed. He turned to a stats page and began counting the Donphan and Phanpy that were in the herd. This was good data for when he sent the guide back in to the researchers. He counted twenty-five Donphan and ten Phanpy in the herd. As the teens admired the group of elephants, Cody noticed two Donphan were rolling around the herd at top speed. They had their heads and hindquarters tucked in so they could roll about like wheels.

"Hey Jared, what are those two rolling Donphan doing?" Cody asked curiously.

"Showing off," Jared answered simply as he scanned the herd with his binoculars. "Donphan herds are matriarchal. When male Phanpy evolve into Donphan, they're typically kicked out of the herd for being too rowdy. However, the males will look for female herds and will show off in an attempt to impress the females."

"Okay, that makes sense," Cody replied. He had learned that in school a few years ago, but he couldn't recall it until Jared had reminded him. When he looked back at the herd of pachyderms, he felt the urge to try and capture a Phanpy, but he knew that would be a silly thing to do with all the bigger elephants around. Still, just seeing such a large herd of Donphan was a cool experience that he probably wouldn't have been able to enjoy if he wasn't a trainer.

Suddenly, one trumpeting voice struck out from the murmuring of the herd. The voice sounded as though the elephant that made it was in pain. Jared was the first to find out which individual had made the noise.

"Holy… Heather, come look at this," he said frantically, not putting the binoculars down. "There's a Donphan giving birth!"

"No way, let me see!" Heather shouted as she joined Jared's side. He handed her the binoculars, and her jaw dropped. "Oh my…"

"Let me see this," Cody asked. Heather handed him the binoculars, but he handed them back the moment he saw what was going on. His stomach did a back flip. "Hold on, I'm going to be sick!" He ran over to the side of the big stone they were picnicking on and threw up over the edge into a bush below. Jared and Heather were howling with laughter.

"Cody, don't be such a drama queen," Jared laughed. "That's the miracle of life. It's a beautiful thing."

"Yeah Cody," Heather joined in. "That's how _you _were born."

"That's how I was born!" Cody shouted back in disgust. "I may not remember my birth, but I can assure you that I didn't come out of an elephant's va-" He stopped talking so he could let another splash of puke fall out of his mouth. "Oh lord, I can't unsee that! This is why I'm a trainer and not a breeder. Just tell me when it's over."

"Relax man, it's already over," Jared chuckled. "Why won't you look at that…" He handed the binoculars back to Heather.

"Awww," she gasped. "It's already walking. Cody, come look at this."

"No thanks, I've had my fill of nature for today," Cody mumbled as he sat down next to Heather. She handed him the binoculars anyway, so holding his breath, he took a look at the mother and child again.

"Wow…" he whispered. This seen was a lot more pleasant to look at. The blue Phanpy calf was already standing and trying to walk, though it wobbled when doing so. The mother Donphan touched her forehead to the baby's body. The two pokemon then touched each other with their trunks. It was a beautiful moment; much more beautiful than the "miracle" that preceded it.

* * *

"There's one," Cody whispered. The three trainers and their few "out of ball" pokemon stopped on the mountain trail and looked at a little gray bird that was pecking at the ground in a clearing. It was definitely a Skarmory chick; but it looked nothing like a fully grown Skarmory. The birdling had two tiny wings, but no armor whatsoever over its featherless body, just tough looking gray skin. It also seemed to lack other features that most Skarmory had: it had no red feathers under its wings, and no "horn" on its head.

"Well, go get it!" Heather whispered excitedly. "This is why we're here after all."  
"No, don't." Jared pointed up at a ledge above them before Cody could order Bastion to attack. "Look up there." An iron clad Skarmory was watching the chick from above.

"Damn it," Cody muttered. "Let's keep going."

"Jared, is it going to be safe for us to be walking up here?" Heather asked fearfully. "I remember seeing a nature program that said that Skarmory will eat almost anything, including humans."

"I wouldn't worry," Jared replied. "There are three of us and thirteen pokemon between us. Most Skarmory are smart enough not to attack groups of trainers unless their young are threatened. Besides, I have Charmeleon out. Out in the wild, Skarmory instinctually avoid fire and fire pokemon. We're fine as long as long as Cody doesn't screw things up." He turned to his Charmeleon and patted him on the back.

"Good to know you trust me," Cody retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Well, if it weren't for me, you probably wouldn't have seen that Skarmory and you'd be bird chow."

"Hey, I've beat a Skarmory before!"

"Cody, that was a double battle, and it was a young Skarmory," Heather reminded him. "There's no way you coul-"

Her voice stopped when she heard the growing sound of thunder from the ground below the cliff. The three trainers looked over the edge to see a herd of Zebstrika and Blitzle running through the mountain crevice below.

"Whoa, they sound just like thunder," Cody said in amazement.

"They charge like that before a storm," Jared said in a concerned voice. "We better get to a town in a few hours before the rain starts. Do you know where we need to go to get to town, Cody?"

"Of course I do," Cody stated confidently. "I _am_ the map guy after all." He opened the mountain map again and took a look. "We just need to head north-west from here. There's a little mountain town where we can stay, and I doubt the pokemon center is full, given how secluded it is."

"Okay, let's get to it then. You can catch a Skarmory tomorrow," Jared announced. "And Cody, you should return your Squirtle to his pokeball. He doesn't look that well."

Cody looked down to see Bastion hunched over, only being able to stand because he was pulling himself up by Cody's jeans.

"You okay buddy?" Cody asked as he knelt down to his Squirtle's level. Bastion smiled and let out a weak grunt, but he didn't look well. Cody was baffled. The turtle had not even battled that day.

"Maybe he's not used to the mountains?" Heather asked. Cody shook his head.

"I don't think that's it. We were in the mountains near Kindle for a week, and he didn't seem bothered there. I'm going to call him back though. Something's up." He returned the turtle to the pokeball, and the group continued down the trail of cliffs in search of the one that would take them to the town. Jared's Charmeleon walked in front of the pack. Unlike Bastion, the flame lizard seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Your Charmeleon seems to like it up here," Heather commented.

"Well, Charmeleon do live up in the mountains, so I guess he's at home," Jared explained.

"Does the Charmander line live in these mountains?" Cody questioned.

"Eh, I don't think," Jared answered skeptically. "I got my Charmeleon as a Charmander as a birthday present from my mom. But it was from Kanto. I don't think Charmander are common in Skitrex."

"Ah, that's too bad," Cody sighed. He was slightly disappointed. He was in the mountains to catch a Skarmory, but it would have been cool if he could have caught a Charmander while he was at it. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he looked at Heather's Oddish who was happily dancing around in front of her as they walked. "So, Heather, you ever going to give her a nickname?"

"Hmm…" She pondered for a moment. "I'm going with Bella. It's a pretty name for a girl, and it's fitting for a Bellossom, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess," Cody answered. "But what if she becomes a Vileplume?"

Well…" Heather began, not previously thinking about that possibility. "I'll worry about that later." She then turned her head to Jared. "Hey Jared, why don't you give your pokemon nicknames?"

"Why does it matter?" Jared asked defensively. "A lot of people don't nickname their pokemon."

"I'm just curious," Heather admitted.

"Well, I'm bad with names," Jared stated.

"But they're your pokemon."  
"Yes, but it's easier just to look at them and see what they are. They don't need an extra label to be special to me."

"I guess that all makes sense," Cody said as he absorbed the explanation. In truth, he thought it was a stupid reason, but he wasn't going to antagonize Jared over it. "Different strokes for different folks, I guess."

"Yeah, besides," Jared continued, "I'm not very creative. When I was given my Charmander, I probably would have named him something dumb, like Flamey or something if I was forced to."

"Haha, yeah, I was kind of on the fence originally about nicknaming my pokemon at first. I just put a bit of time into it before I make the deci-" Cody suddenly froze in both sentence and place. "We got another one," he whispered.

Further up on the mountain trail in an open space in the mountain side was a Skarmory chick pecking at the corpse of a young Karrablast. It looked just like the other one, except slightly bigger.

"Everybody look around for the mom," Jared whispered. "I don't know if a Skarmory chick would be able to kill a gutsy pokemon like a Karrablast by itself or not." All three trainers scanned the surrounding cliffs, but no older Skarmory was in sight.

"I don't see one," Cody whispered. "I'm going in. Keep on the lookout though. If a parent shows up, get Charmeleon to blast it or something." He turned towards his prey and began to approach slowly. But once he was within twenty feet, the armorless bird suddenly stopped eating and turned his head towards Cody. The naked chick let out a loud screech and shifted into a defensive position in front of its meal. It wasn't interested in Cody taking its food. But neither was Cody.

"Okay, let's make this quick before the mom shows up. Let's go Colossal!" The Larvitar burst from the tossed pokeball and immediately ran at the chick to tackle it, but the little bird charged the lizard in retaliation. The two pokemon collided, and even though the chick was just as tall as Larvitar, the bird was slammed backwards into the mountain side.

"Good, now Horn Attack!" Colossal left a perfect mark on the baby Skarmory's wing, but the birdling wouldn't stay down. It ran at the Larvitar and tried to strike him with its wing as if it were using a Steel Wing attack. Colossal wasn't even knocked over by the strike, so it grabbed the wing and threw it into the mountain wall again. The little bird stood up again and flapped its wings in an attempt to fly, but it couldn't get off the ground.

"Man, for a baby, this thing bird is as tough as nails," Cody commented. "Just Body Slam it already!" Without any fear of being harmed, Colossal ran forward and grabbed the bird, ignoring the various pecks, and sandwiched the chick between the ground and his weight. But the Skarmory was still struggling to stand up.

"Okay, catching time," Cody muttered to himself. He threw an empty pokeball at the writhing bird. The chick was sucked into the pokeball.

"Yes," Cody shouted. "I cau-"

The ball exploded and laid on the ground in broken pieces. The Skarmory had escaped. Letting out another screech, it began to charge toward Cody. Cody braced himself for the oncoming attack, but the hit never came. He opened his eyes to see the baby bird on the ground. Colossal had hit it in the skull with a rock.

"Good shot Colossal," Cody praised. He looked down at the chick who was still trying to stand up. "Good try little one," Cody murmured in respect. This time, he pulled out a great ball and gave it a light toss at the pokemon in front of him. After the Skarmory was absorbed a second time, the ball only wiggled a few times before falling still. Colossal wandered forward to inspect the pokeball. He picked it up in both hands and held it up for his trainer.

"Thank you Colossal," Cody said to his pokemon as he knelt down and pat him on the head. He then took the pokeball that contained the Skarmory and held it up to the light. The two weeks of traveling to get to St. Anthony's had paid off. He kissed the pokeball and smiled at it. "You're gonna be my main event."

"Well, are you happy Cody? You caught your damn bird," Jared groaned.

"Yes I am, son," Cody replied ecstatically. "I just caught myself a motherfucking Skarmory. When this little guy gets bigger, there's gonna be no stopping us." All of a sudden, a piercing screech of a grown Skarmory echoed in the mountains. The teens looked around nervously.

"Come on," Heather urged, "let's get out of here before we get minced."

* * *

Areos Town was located deep within the mountains among the cliffs. Besides a dirt road that winded through the mountains that allowed sturdy cars to pass into the town, the only means of transportation besides foot was by helicopter. The group had come to that conclusion by noticing the helipad near the pokemon center. Other than that, the town looked like something out of the old world.

The pokemon center was modernized, however. But because it was in the middle of nowhere and not on the way to any gyms, the only other trainers utilizing the facility were the locals.

"So how are they?" Cody asked the nurse. He had noticed that this was the first male nurse he had ever seen at a pokemon center. The young man behind the counter smiled and handed back two of his pokeballs.

"You're Diglett and Larvitar are fine. And you're Skarmory…" He handed Cody a third pokeball, which Cody recognized as Skarmory's because it was blue. "She's fine too."  
"She?" Cody asked in almost disbelief.

"Yes, she," the nurse repeated. "She's a real mean one too. You better be careful with her. She's young, so I recommend you wait a month before using her in battle, but even then, make sure it's only against young pokemon. Don't use her in anything too competitive until her armor comes in, understand?"

"Okay," Cody said as he attached the ball to his belt. "Did you figure out what's wrong with my Squirtle?"

"Yes, he's merely suffering from a hydrogen deficiency. Nothing too serious, many young water pokemon will go through it once or twice before they get older."  
"Hydrogen deficiency huh? What's that?"  
"Well," the nurse began, "when water pokemon drink water, their bodys' strip the hydrogen atoms from the oxygen and store them in their water glands so they can produce gallons of water for attacks by recombining it with the surrounding oxygen."

"Oh okay." Cody had always wondered how water pokemon could produce so much water, and this response made as much sense as any.

"He just doesn't have enough hydrogen in him right now. He should be better by the morning, but we're going to keep him overnight to be sure he's alright."  
"Okay, thank you." Cody then walked over to the couches where Jared and Heather were sitting. He noticed Jared's right arm resting around Heather's shoulders, but it didn't bother him. Two weeks of this stuff had made him immune. Somnos sat on Heather's lap, sleeping as usual.

"So, are we going to see this future 'hall of famer,' now that she's yours?" Jared asked sarcastically.

"How did you know she was a female?" Cody asked.

"I heard the nurse," Jared answered. "So are we going to see her already?"  
"Well sure, now's a good a time as any I guess," he said. "But first…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cheap looking lighter.

"Why do you have that?" Heather questioned. "You don't smoke."

"Nope, it's not for that," he corrected. "I just bought this at the general store. As for why…" He took a deep breath. "Well, you'll see." With his free hand, he removed the great ball from his belt and pressed the button to release the monster inside. The Skarmory rematerialized in front of him and immediately stared him in the face. She didn't look happy.

"SKREEEEEEE!" the bird began to screech, drawing the attention of every person and pokemon in the room. She continued this shrill noise until Cody lit the lighter in front of her face. The bird was silenced as she stared at the flame. She was obviously afraid of the fire, but only showed a calm resentment towards it. She refused to show weakness. The only sounds that were present now in the silenced pokemon center was the chirping of Heather's Poliwag, who had been awakened by the screech of the chick.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Cody chuckled, not breaking eye contact with the bird.

"Jesus, Cody, what the hell was that!" Heather exclaimed. "She looked like she was going to rip your face off!"

"She might have, too," Cody agreed. "But I have two of her weaknesses right here." Letting the fire die, he put down the Skarmory's pokeball and picked up a handful of pokechow and held it up for the bird to eat. She gave him an evil looking glare, and then cautiously began to pluck the kibble from his hand. Even though her beak had not fully developed yet, its sharpness broke Cody's skin with every pluck. He didn't flinch though. The document he had read on Skarmory told him to never show fear or pain in front of a freshly caught Skarmory.

After she finished eating the kibble, she stared harshly into Cody's eyes again. He slowly touched her head and let his hand stroke the back of her neck. Her featherless skin felt like a mixture of steel and rubber. But even at his gentle touch, the chick would not loosen her gaze. Cody could see the harsh road that lay before him. With Bastion, Mars, and Colossal, he had to earn their trust to access their friendship. But with this Skarmory, he would have gain her respect as well. A pocket sized flame and a handful of food would not be enough.

"So," Heather murmured quietly, in fear that her voice may anger the bird, "what are you going to name her?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "I usually wait awhile before I name them. I like to consider it first." He stroked the chick's back now. Her expression didn't change. "I was thinking of Antone, being a spin-off of the name Anthony, like the name of these mountains, but since she's a girl-"

"I really hope you're happy," Jared rudely interrupted.

"That's the fifth time you've said that in the past two hours," Cody groaned. "We'll leave tomorrow once the sun rises and you can forget this whole trip, okay?"  
"Cody, do you realize you're playing russian roulette with this bird, right? She obviously doesn't like you, and she could easily pluck your eyes out right now if she-"

"But she hasn't, has she?" Cody interjected. "I'll find a way to earn her respect."  
"And even if you do, what of the winter? What if she doesn't survive?"  
"She's strong enough," Cody affirmed. "She may not have laid a scratch on Colossal, but she refused to qui-"

"That's another thing, what of her battling?" Jared asked. "She's not going to be able to battle in the gyms until the spring."

"I've told you before, this is an investment!" Cody shot back. "She's going to be a tough competitor in the-"

"As far as I'm concerned, you still have three pokemon right now," Jared said sharply. "I still think you wasted our time just to catch one poke-"  
"Jared, stop," Heather cut him off.

"No, he's right," Cody said indignantly. "So you think I'm just wasting my time, huh? Well, I'll make you believe it's worth it. I'm going out and catching a fifth pokemon, and I won't come back until I do." He returned the Skarmory to her pokeball and put his things into his backpack. "I'll be back in a few hours, I'm going out."

"No, Cody, please don't do this," Heather said in an attempt to apologize for Jared's words. "It's not a big deal if your Skar-"

"Too late," Cody shouted. "You're boyfriend thinks I wasted all of our time, so I'm going to make him eat his words. I'm going to find another champion for my team." With that, he turned around and exited the pokemon center. "Asshole," he muttered to himself. "One of these days…" Suddenly, a drop of water splashed on his nose. He looked up at the sky to see it blackened with storm clouds. Suddenly, he remembered that the moron had predicted that it would rain.

* * *

"What a swell time we're having, eh?" Cody asked Mars and Colossal. The mole and lizard didn't respond. They just sat by his knees as he sat under an old mountain tree to protect himself from the rain. Both of them were getting drowsy.

He knew that hiding under a tree during a thunder storm wasn't a smart idea, but the thunder was far off. The hunt for a fifth team member had been a failure thus far, since most mountain pokemon avoided the rain. It was past midnight now, and the only light that showed was that of the far off lightning strikes. Cody began to curse his pride that kept him from returning to the pokemon center.

"Wake me when it stops raining," he murmured to his pokemon as he drifted off to sleep. But he never quite fell into slumber. He slowly tilted his head leftward so he could look down the trail he had come on. In the corner of his eye, he could still see the large gorge below. If the rain kept up, it would eventually form a shallow river. The lightning strikes were getting closer to him. Eventually, he would have to find a new location to hide out. But even after the sound of thunder, it sounded as though the noise continued to echo in the distance.

BOOM!

He covered his ears to block out the sound. The lightning flashed again. On the path to his left, he saw the figure of what looked to be an old woman. It looked like Madame Stella, but the light only flashed for a second. When the lightning flashed again, there was no one there. "I need to see a psychiatrist," he muttered miserably.

Suddenly, Mars sat up in the ground. He began to squeak frantically. The mole was feeling a movement somewhere. Out in the distant gorge, the lightning was striking, and the sound of neighing penetrated the air. The residual sound of thunder wasn't an echo, but the same stampede of Zebstrika and Blitzle that they saw earlier. The herd gave off a slight glow as the older Zebstrika were absorbing the electricity strikes. The group ran in circles and would switch locations in the gorge depending on where the lightning would strike next.

"I always wanted a horse," Cody muttered to himself. He remembered going trail riding during a family vacation where he got to ride a Ponyta, but a Blitzle would work just as well. "Let's go boys."

He ran down the trail with only a small flashlight to guide him in the darkness and the pouring rain. He let Mars lead the way, since the mole had better "earth sense" than he did in the darkness, and Colossal kept up at his heels. After ten minutes of running in the rain, they reached the gorge. The circling herd of zebras had moved closer now, but the young trainer knew he didn't have time to spare. They could be gone again any minute. Using both hands to plug his ears, he approached the noisy herd, and at fifty feet away, he ordered Mars to activate his Arena Trap ability. The Diglett moved in front of him and began spinning in place in the mud that was forming. As the some of the Zebstrika lead the herd across the gorge to the next place that lightning would strike, two young Blitzle were caught in the mole's spinning trap.

"Now Sand Tomb!" Cody shouted over the thundering hooves of the distant horses. Mars heard him and began spinning into the ground like a screw. The earth coned downward around him as he spun and the two zebras were caught like insects in an ant lion's pit. After realizing that they could not escape, the two Blitzle charged the Diglett with a Spark attack. The mole wasn't injured by the electricity itself, but by the collision of the horses, and lost control of the Sand Tomb. The two Blitzle began running out of the pit, but were knocked over like bowling pins by Colossal's Rock Slide. The bigger Blitzle let out a loud whinny as it found its feet and ran away to rejoin the herd. The slightly smaller Blitzle was trying to find its way out of the pit.

"Mars, Bulldoze!" With a wave of dirt and mud behind him, the Diglett burrow charged the struggling horse and knocked him over with a collision of the wave. The little Blitzle was knocked unconscious by the blow and slid into the bottom of the pit. Its body began to get covered in the sloppy mud.

"Shit, I don't want it to drown down there." Cody threw a pokeball and the limp body of the zebra was snatched up. The ball fell into the soiled water, so he ran down into the slippery mud pit and got a hold of it before the mud got two deep for him to enter. He held the pokeball up in the air and let the falling water wash the dirt off of it. It would take hours to clean his clothes, but in his mind, it was worth it.

* * *

** Normally, I wouldn't give a trainer two new pokemon in one chapter, but I figured it would be appropriate here.**

** Review if you feel the urge. If you've been reading but not reviewing, make my day. I'll try to get in one more chapter before I leave on vacation, and hopefully while I'm there, I'll get two more chapters out before my return. Because internet access where I'm going is questionable, it may be some time. Peace.**


	13. Chapter 13: Crosses to Carry

**Reviews from the readers (I have a lot to talk about today):**

_also i dont know if u got it planned, but around 3/4th gym u should lose badly to the leader, and badly and go on a training trip, i seem to enjoy them a lot in others i read, no idea why._

**HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO WRITE! Lol, just kidding. Cody will lose badly somewhere down the road, but a training trip… Yeah, maybe. My only issue is that I really don't want it to become filler. It may be hard to make a whole chapter or more just about training without it getting boring. That's why I've been trying to cut back on pointless battles and stuff just so I don't get repetitive. However, I'll keep that in mind. I think a lot of that time will bee filled with sub-plot stuff anyway (Frank and the baddies, dreams, Stella, friends, etc.) Anyway, you gave a really positive review, and I'm very appreciative.**

_Good chapter, although I was expecting it to be more of a challenge for Cody to catch a skarmory - it seemed a little too easy after the earlier descriptions you gave. _

**The idea was that it was a two foot armorless chick versus a trained rock pokemon. It would have made Colossal look bad to be beaten up by a baby pokemon. However I countered that by showing the chick's resilience. Either way, remember what Eagle said: Catching the Skarmory **_**is **_**the easy part. **

_I believe that [this fanfic] has great potential and it is also very realistic. I like the way you equate pokemon to animals on our planet. I believe it gives this fic another point in my books._

**I'm glad you noticed that, since it is what I'm going for. I am portraying most pokemon as smart animals, though some types like psychics and ghosts may be a bit more human like in their actions and personalities. That being said, I'm giving them all more emotions than what some animals display (real turtles don't have the emotional and intellectual capacity that Bastion has), but I've aimed for realism in several concepts such as mammalian pokemon giving birth rather than laying eggs and pokemon making animal sounds rather than them saying their own name.**

**Thanks again to MagikarpMaster for the proofreading.**

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Blitzle)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwag), Feathers (Pidgey), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Oddish (Bella)_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Nidorino, Onix, Jolteon _

* * *

**Chapter 13: Crosses to Carry**

The battle was winding up. Cody's Blitzle and Heather's Poliwag stood facing the opposing trainers' Sableye and Voltorb. All four trainers were on their last pokemon now.

"Go for the Voltorb," Heather muttered to Cody. "I'm sure your Blitzle could handle it better."

Cody nodded. "Elesa, Quick Attack!" Before he had even finished the command, the Blitzle charged the Voltorb at full speed and rammed into it using the top of her head. The Voltorb rolled backwards in pain, but used this momentum to keep rolling. "Pursuit!" Cody shouted. The little horse began to chase after the rolling ball. She wasn't fast enough to catch up with it, but she continued regardless.

"Water Pulse!" Heather yelled. Somnos shot a blast of water at the Sableye, and it hit the slow pokemon in the chest. The Sableye retaliated with a Night Shade. Because neither pokemon were all that fast, every attack they launched at each other hit. It wouldn't be long before they wore each other out.

"Hypnosis!" Both Heather and the Sableye's trainer shouted simultaneously. Both pokemon began to send hypnotic waves at each other at the same time. It wouldn't be long until they were both asleep. "Hey Cody!" Heather shouted. "I could use som-"  
"Got it! Spark to the ghost!" Elesa gave up on chasing the speedy Voltorb and ran her electrified body into the Sableye. The ghost was knocked down, but Somnos was bowled over by the rolling Voltorb.

"Sableye! Shadow Sneak!" The diamond eyed ghost disappeared and reappeared in front Elesa, giving her a powerful smack. The trainer then commanded his ghost to use Fury Swipes. Elesa was not quick enough to move out of the way of the ghost, and she ended up taking several slashes to the face. Meanwhile, Somnos was being given all he could handle from the Voltorb, whose Rollout was growing faster and faster.

"Finish the Poliwag off with a Charge Beam!" The Voltorb began to glow for a second before shooting off an electrical beam at the bewildered Somnos. However, commanding the Voltorb to use an electric attack proved foolish. Instead of shooting in a straight line, the electrical beam curved around and hit Elesa instead. The filly had drawn the electrical beam to her body like a lightning rod, and upon being struck, she let out a happy neigh as her body was boosted with electrical energy. Upon touching her, the Sableye was shocked, and fell over dazed, making it an easy target for Somnos.

"Okay Elesa, Quick Attack again to the Voltorb." The Voltorb tried to roll away, but Elesa was faster than it now. She smacked the Voltorb again and then gave the ball a strong kick with her hooves.

"Voltorb, this is getting difficult! Self-destruct!" Cody and Heather gasped. An explosion from the Voltorb wouldn't hurt the Sableye because it was part ghost, but it could spell doom for Elesa and Somnos. But when the Voltorb concentrated on creating an explosion, nothing happened. Its body was too damp from the collisions with Somnos to explode.

It was then shot at with a Water Gun by Somnos who had turned around during combat with the Sableye to aid his partner. The ball charged him with a Rollout, but before he could make a hit, Elesa pushed the Poliwag out of the way and the ball collided with the ghost instead. Both pokemon lay in a heap, but they wouldn't stay down for long.

"Water Pulse!" Heather shouted. The opponents were hit by a strong water blast that also confused them. The Sableye began to stagger around while the Voltorb just sat there.

"Shock Wave!" Cody commanded. The Blitzle let out a whinny as a burst of electrical energy left her body and struck the opponents. Because they were soaking wet, both the Sableye and the Voltorb were hurt more than normal by the attack and they both passed out. The battle was over.

"Alright! Good work Elesa!" Cody cheered. The little horse let out a happy cry and began sprinting circles around Somnos. Somnos celebrated by chirping, but suddenly, his body glowed white.

"Oh my God, Cody, Jared! Look!" All of the trainers looked on at Heather's Poliwag as he began to change. His body and legs increased in size and two arms sprouted from his torso. Suddenly, the light faded and revealed and Somnos looked really different. The bigger pokemon looked at his newly formed arms and legs.

"Ribbit!" the Poliwhirl croaked happily.

"You evolved! Yay!" Heather ran to Somnos and gave him a hug, and for the first time ever, he was able to hug her back.

"It's about time he evolved," Jared commented to Cody. "He's been getting outclassed lately anyway."

"Yeah." Cody sighed. He secretly wished one of his pokemon would evolve.

The two boys that Heather and Cody had battled walked up to them and congratulated them on the victory before paying them their winnings. One of the boys looked at Cody's left arm and a curious expression appeared on his face.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked.

"Oh this?" Cody asked as he raised his left arm. The forearm was in a cast. It was covered in the signatures of trainers they had met. "Skarmory bite."

"Really?" the boy asked doubtfully.

"Yup, just a hairline fracture though. I got pretty lucky."

"Riiight," the boy sighed in disbelief. "Hey, you should tell your Blitzle that the battle's over. She's still running around." Cody looked over to see that the tiny zebra was still running around in circles, whinnying happily.

"Nah, she's always excitable," he replied. "But she's pretty jumpy right now. There's probably a storm coming."

"A storm?" the trainer asked worriedly. He turned to his traveling companion. "Trent, we better find somewhere dry. This trainer says there's going to be a storm."  
"How about that cave we just passed?" the other trainer suggested. "It should be safe in there. You three can come with us too if you want to."

"Sure, that sounds great," Jared agreed. "Where is it?"  
"That way," Trent answered, pointing west. "Let's go!"  
"Sure thing," Cody agreed. However, he noticed that Elesa had run off into the forest. "Hey, you guys go on without me. I have to catch my horse."

He ran into the thicket where Elesa had entered and began running while calling out her name. Suddenly, the tiny filly zipped in front of him. Neighing happily, she twisted and turned through the trees as Cody desperately tried to keep up with the little speed demon. His body ached as he ran from the various bruises and scrapes on his body, but he laughed away the pain as he gave chase. Eventually, Elesa ran out of the woods and over to the side of a cliff. She neighed loudly over the cliff's edge at the sight of the approaching storm clouds on the horizon. Cody sat next to her and stroked her back. She always got excited for storms, since it was the absorbing of excess electricity that would eventually allow her to evolve when she was old enough. For now though, she was too young. Nevertheless, the sound of thunder always made her excited.

He had chosen the name Elesa for his Blitzle since it was the name of a popular model from Unova who was also an electric gym leader. The little horse was always extremely happy and loved to learn new things, making her very easy to train. Since she had a herd mentality, she saw Cody as the leader and she would always try to please him.

Cody touched her jagged mane, and she licked his cheek. He felt bad that he had not been able to spend as much time with her as he should have, due to how much time the Skarmory chick demanded in her taming, but Elesa seemed very forgiving of this. She made every spare moment she could a good one, and that was a very admirable quality.

"Come on," Cody said to the Blitzle as he stood up. "Let's go back to the cave. You know how I hate being out in the rain."

* * *

"Man, this room sucks," Cody mumbled bluntly. They were in a ground level of a motel in Moraine City. There wasn't anything of note in the city: no gym, no tournaments, no really serious trainers. It was just a working class city that many trainers were passing through on their walk to Kito Grove. Heather and Cody had left their pokemon at the center for the night, and Jared was still training with his. After placing his backpack and makeshift spear on the ground, he sat down on one of the beds and began reading a newspaper he bought outside.

"At least it's cheap," Heather sighed. "Shouldn't you reapply the ointment soon?"

"Damn, you're right. Just how I like to spend my Saturday nights." Putting down the paper, he reached into his pack and found a bottle of ointment. He slowly removed his jeans and took a hard look at the various bandages that covered his shins and knees. One by one, he peeled them off, revealing the cuts they concealed.

Eagle was right: catching the Skarmory was the easy part. In order to get the chick's respect, he essentially had to become her mother. Several times a day, he would take the chick into the forest where he would find and kill young bug pokemon with his makeshift spear for food. He could have used one of his pokemon to do the job for him, but according to the document he read, proving to a young Skarmory that he could make the kill himself was the best thing to do; since young Skarmory chicks only understood power. After killing a bug pokemon, he would then take a few bites of it before letting the chick have the rest. This was also a sign of dominance, since in the wild, the dominant animal eats first. Even after he let the chick hunt for herself, he would make sure he took a bite first to remind her of his position. He hoped that someday, the eating of raw meat and the stomach pain that followed afterward would be worth it.

The Skarmory, or Antonia, which he had nicknamed her, was the epitome of unruly. He had her out of her pokeball every opportunity he could so she could become accustomed with him and the others, but he had to contain her when he battled other trainers, since she would run in and attack any pokemon she saw, even his own.

Antonia hated his other pokemon. While Bastion, Mars, Colossal, and Elesa got along with each other like brothers, she hated all four of them, especially Mars, since his ego was as big as hers. Sometimes, just the sight of his other pokemon would drive her to attack them. At first, he tried to follow the nurse's orders of keeping the chick out of battles, but once fights between his pokemon and her became a daily occurrence, he finally snapped and let them battle. Because she was young, inexperienced, small, and lacked armor, all four of his pokemon easily defeated her individually. She grew to resent them, but no longer attacked them after they had humbled her. The only fights he did stop were the ones that Antonia tried to pick with Heather, Jared, and their pokemon.

After applying the ointment to his legs, Cody put fresh bandages on the cuts before putting his pants on again. He then removed his shirt and began unwrapping the bandages on his arms, back, and torso.

Probably the most unpleasant thing about raising this Skarmory chick was that whenever she was pissed off at him (which was pretty much all the time,) she would fight him. Calling her back into her pokeball didn't work because the moment he would let her out again, she would continue as though she was never gone. Eventually, he had to break down and fight back. As cruel and barbaric as that sounded, it was actually what the professionals recommended when worst came to worst. Even though she was small and armorless, Antonia was still difficult to tangle with since she had sharp talons and a sharp toothed beak. Cody would do anything to beat the bird into submission. He would kick her, punch her, strangle her, burn her with the lighter and even bite her. Eventually, the chick would grow weary and give up. After a fight, he would spray her body over with a potion and cradle her in his arms until she fell asleep. After the first two weeks, the number of fights between them dwindled. Even so, he wore many scrapes from battle, many of which would become scars. The chick had also fractured his arm with a strong bite, which is why he wore the cast. On top of that, Cody had to buy a lot of new clothes since many of them were shredded during their fights. He also bought a protective cup (for obvious reasons.)

"Heather, can you get my back?" Cody asked.

"Sure," she said as she sat behind him and began applying ointment to the scratches on his back while he patched up the ones on his front.

There weren't only sour experiences between Cody and Antonia. Eventually, the chick had learned that she needed him to grow stronger, since that point was evident with his other pokemon, and she was smart enough to notice. She was beginning to trust him, though she was still wary about doing so. She also went to Cody to be groomed, and had become accustomed to being pet. To take the bond even further, he let the little bird sleep with him at night to emulate the feeling of a mother and nest. He knew there was always the chance that she would kill him in his sleep, but she never did. Though the bird didn't want to show it, she was afraid of the dark, and having a human there to comfort her made things safe.

Despite the progress he was making, Cody felt as though he was neglecting his other pokemon. He still battled with them daily, but this Skarmory chick was taking up so much of his free time. He was glad that she would be spending the night at the pokemon center so he could have the night off. The past four weeks had been brutal.

His phone began to ring. "Hello?"  
"Hey Cody, what you up to?" Cody recognized who the voice belonged to.

"Hey Angie," he greeted. "Just getting a massage from a hot brunette." He swore he could hear Heather roll her eyes.

"Really now?" Angie giggled. "Happy ending or no?"  
"Hold on, let me ask." He put his hand on the receiver and turned his head as far back as he could. "Hey Heather, am I getting a happy ending?"

"Hell no," she laughed before smacking him on one of his cuts. He winced.

"She said no," he said as he began talking to Angie again.

"Aw, poor you. Guess you're not getting any birthday lovin' then, huh?"

"Birthday, lovin'? What are you talking about?"

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Angie questioned.

"It's my birthday?" Cody repeated.

"It's your birthday?" Heather gasped.

"I don't know, what day is it?" Cody asked.

"I think it's the fifteenth."

"Holy Arceus, it's my birthday," Cody stated in amazement. He couldn't believe he had forgotten. It's not as though he didn't know it was October. "I guess I'm fifteen now."

"You guess?" Angie laughed on the phone. "Who forgets their own birthday?"

"Me, I guess," Cody chuckled. "So how about you? How's school?"

"It's okay. I'm playing soccer, getting good grades, still training Sentret, and… Hold on, I'm getting another call, I'll call you back in a minute, okay?"

"Sure, nice chatting with you so far," Cody finished before he heard a beep on the other side. "Watch her not call me back," he chuckled.

"Okay, I'm done pack here," Heather said as she stuck on the last bandage. "You never talk to her much anymore."

"Who, Angie?" Cody clarified as he put his shirt back on. "Do you talk with any of your exes?"

"Not really, but I'm not really friends with any of them now. You still seem to be friends with her."

"Yeah, but I did that out of necessity. She's friends with all my friends back home, so we always ended up at the same activities. It would be awkward if we weren't cool with each other."

"I guess that makes sense…" There was an awkward pause. "So, we going to do anything for your birthday?"

"I don't know. I feel kind of mellow tonight," Cody murmured as he looked through the sports section. None of the articles interested him until he reached the bottom portion of the paper. There was a small section that announced upcoming games. "Actually, do you want to go to a football game?"

* * *

American football. Not just in America anymore. Ever since the high school rugby ban that took place in the late 80's, American football slowly took over the niche in high schools across Skitrex. However, it was only a high school sport, but many players were given college sports scholarships to American schools, should they want to continue playing.

Cody and Heather sat in the top of the bleachers, looking down at the game. They didn't know the names of the schools, but one team's mascot was a leprechaun and the other was a Luxray. Near the bottom of the seating where the two trainers sat was a rowdy group of students painted up in blue and gold, and the school's band.

Out on the field, it was the fourth down, and one of the blue colored football players made a field goal. The score was now 10 - 0. The student section went nuts.

"Wow, I didn't think he was going to make that," Cody exclaimed. "I thought it was too far."

"Wait, what just happened?" Heather asked in a confused voice,

"It was the fourth down, so instead of trying to run-"

"What's a down again?"

Cody shook his head. "You don't watch a lot of sports, do you?"

"No, not really. Do you?"

"Nah, besides battling, I'm not really a sports guy either," he sighed. "I just know about football because Laurence loves it. He played his freshman year, and he loves watching the American series. Every January, he gets obsessed over the Super Cup, or whatever they call it. I told him he should just move to the states already."

They continued to watch the game and make small talk. It was nice to get away from the thoughts of training for a little bit and to watch other people fight for a change.

"So, it's too bad Jared couldn't make it," Cody said.

"Shut up Cody, I know you're lying."  
"This is what I get for trying to being nice," Cody sighed. "I called him up about it out of the goodness of my heart, and he tells me he's going to church in the morning. What a good little choir boy, eh?"

"He's better than you," Heather shot back in a laugh. "Mister 'I believe the universe can exist without a god to create it.' I'm sure Stephen Hawking is proud of you."

"I didn't come to that conclusion through him. I came to it through simple logic. And aren't you the little pot calling the kettle black?" he teased.

"Agnosticism and atheism are two totally different 'isms' so don't even start!"

"Just pick a side already, you're embarrassing yourself," Cody laughed. His attention was drawn back to the football players as blue team made an interception. "Nice play."

"So why did you want to come here of all places for your birthday?" Heather asked. "You said it yourself. You're not a sports guy."

"Well, I like football enough."  
"Yeah, but after the cost of admission and that hot pretzel-"

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you," Cody began with a sigh. "It's just… you ever feel like you're going to miss this?"

"Miss what?" Heather asked.

"Miss being a part of that," Cody answered, pointing at the crazy group of students that were cheering on their team. "I mean, I like being out here, but think of all the high school stuff we're missing. No sports games like this, no group of friends to party with, no prom… the list goes on. I mean, Laurence said he liked his first year and it's not like you can't be a trainer and be in school since schools have battle teams and stuff."

"I thought about that too for awhile," Heather replied. "A lot of my friends back home were upset when I left, but think about it. We're traveling Skitrex, fighting dangerous monsters, and becoming skilled. You and I started training at the same time, and we're both doing well compared to a lot of other people at our level. I regret nothing."  
"Me neither," Cody agreed. "Even so, I will miss some things. I wonder how Jared feels about all this…"

"Jared doesn't like a lot of people, so-"

"Jared is also an android," Cody pointed out.

"Oh stop it. Be nice to him."

"That _was _me being nice to him. I could have said he was a cyborg who lives by the goddamn clock-"

"Hey, what are you both doing up here?" a girl from the blue school asked. Along with her Luxray jersey, she had painted her face blue and her hair gold. Even with all the paint, she looked pretty cute. "Shouldn't you guys be down there in the student section?"

"No, we're not students here," Heather answered. The girl gave them a weird look.

"Shouldn't you be over on the other side with St. Liam's then?"

"No, we don't go there either," Cody tried to explain. "We're just watching the game."

"Why? Do you know somebody on one of the teams?" she asked.

"No, we're not from around here. We're trainers," Cody clarified.

"Really!" The girl's face lit up. "That's so cool! Do you have any pokemon with you?"

"Sorry, they're being treated at the pokemon center tonight," Cody apologized.

"Aw, but what about badges? Do you have any badges?"

"I have one, but I left it at the motel room in the case," Cody replied with a shrug.

"Well how do I know you're not bullshitting me?" she demanded. Her outburst caused Cody to laugh.

"I have a trainer's license if that's proof enough for you." He reached into his pocket and extracted his trainer's card from his wallet. The painted girl looked at it suspiciously.

"How do I know this is real?" she questioned.

"You'll just have to trust me," Cody replied casually. "Because I'm awful at lying, especially when it's around a cutie such as yourself."

"Well, how do I know you aren't lying right now?"

"Like I said before," he stated with an evil smile growing on his face, "you'll just have to trust me." The girl giggled at this response. Even though her face was painted blue, he could tell she was blushing. He grinned back at Heather who was rolling her eyes again at his shenanigans.

"By the way, I'm Tonya," the girl introduced herself.

"My name is Cody, and this is Heather," Cody replied.

"So Cody, what are you doing in Moraine City?" Tonya asked, completely ignoring Heather's presence. "There aren't any gyms around here."

"We're just passing through on our way to Kito Grove. We're both after our second badge."

"That's so cool," Tonya squealed. "I had friends who went out on an adventure, but they didn't even get one badge. You must be good then, right?"  
"Well, I guess for our age, we're pretty good," Cody admitted. "Still, it's hard work. We train our pokemon for hours everyday."

"I can imagine…" Her eyes were drawn to the cast on his arm. "What happened to your arm?"

"A Skarmory broke it," he replied truthfully.

"Wow, you fought a wild Skarmory?" she asked in amazement.

"You could say that. I wouldn't recommend it though."  
"That's so crazy… Hey, I have to go join my friends, but can I sign your cast?" she begged.

"Sure, hold on." Cody had gotten into the habit of carrying sharpies around with him just for the occasion. He took a pink one from his pocket and handed it to her. She found a blank space on his cast and began to write. Once she was done, she handed the marker back to him.

"I'll see you around, Cody," she farewelled as she returned to the rowdy group of high school students below. Cody looked at where she had signed, only for his stomach to flip.

"Well, you're having a good night," Heather chuckled.

"Oh, it gets better," Cody began to say. "Do you remember that girl's name?"

"Umm… she only said it once. Didn't she just write it on your cast?"

"Not quite," Cody said as he turned the cast so Heather could see. "She left me her number."

Heather began to laugh really hard. "Oh Christ, you _are_ having a good birthday!"

"Eh, sorta. I can't call her if I don't remember her name," Cody sighed. "Either way, we're leaving tomorrow once the church mouse is done visiting with the lord. Still… that was pretty bold of her."

"You're one talk," Heather said through her laughter. "You were flirting with her and she probably thought you were some cute hot shot trainer straight out of Diamond Beach."

"She was attractive!" Cody reminded her. "What was I supposed to… wait, did you just call me cute?"

"No, I said she probably thought you were cute," Heather said defensively. "Besides, you have a cast. She was probably just pitying you."

"You just gotta ruin every little victory I get, don't you?" Cody laughed. Inside, however, he reminded himself that he couldn't get distracted from his training. He had already denied a woman that he liked, so he had to make the denial worth it.

* * *

_"No, no! Not again!" He was having the dream again. He looked around frantically. That 'thing' could be anywhere._

_ "Ah, fear. I love the smell of fear. It makes me feel young again."_

_ "Let me go!" Cody shouted._

_ "Cody, it's been so long since we've had a little heart to heart. How have you been doing? Have you recovered from my last visit?"_

_ Cody looked down at his naked chest where he had been struck by the dark figure. In this dream realm, all of the cuts that Antonia had made on his skin were gone. So was the hole where the dark hand had burst through his chest._

_ "It's like I said before, I can't kill you, but I can make you feel pain beyond a few scratches of that bird you have. Imagine it, child. Every night you sleep, there is the possibility that I can bring you pain that you can't even comprehend."  
"What's the point of all this crap!" Cody shouted. "You yourself told me that I'm of no use to you yet. Why are you bothering me like this?"_

_ "When a colt is being raised for racing, the owner will check up on him to be sure everything is going according to plan, and that someday, that colt will be a grown stallion that will take him to the finish line. You're my colt, Cody Storm. When the time comes, you will bend to my will, and we will cross the finish line together."_

_ Cody sat down. The metaphor was too much for him, and he couldn't understand what the dark voice could possibly mean._

_ "Since you have been a good little boy, you may ask me one question, and I will answer it to the best of my ability. Make it count."_

_ A million possible questions ran through Cody's mind. 'Who was this mysterious being?' 'What were its intentions?' But there was one question that stuck out._

_ "Who the hell is Madame Stella?" he asked._

_ There was a silence. Had he stumped the dark being?_

_ "That bitch… I told her to stay out of this. She has no right to-"_

_ "Hellooo? You told me you'd answer my question!" Cody shouted._

_ "SILENCE!" A dark hand slapped Cody across the face. "She's how I found you in the first place! That's all you need to know. And when you see that wrinkled whore again, tell her to crawl back into whatever hell she spawned from!" Another hand shot out from the darkness and clutched Cody's face. "Remember that. Or I may have a tighter grip next-"_

"Cody, what the hell?"

Cody saw that he was in the motel room again. He had vouched to sleep on the floor in his sleeping bag, since he didn't want to share the bed with Jared. The older boy was now looking down at him in confusion.

"You were talking in your sleep and thrashing. What's up?"

Cody just stared back at Jared for a second. He had no intention of telling him what he had just seen. Ignoring the other teen, Cody picked his wallet up off the floor next to where he was sleeping, and exited the grimy motel room into the chilled autumn air.

"I need a snack," he muttered to himself. "Anything to get my mind off of that… thing." He staggered down the cement path alongside the motel until he found a candy machine. As he looked at the selection, he noticed his reflection on the glass. He resembled like a zombie. After deciding he would get the peanuts, he popped a couple of coins into the machine and pressed the proper buttons. The peanut baggy fell into the lower shoot, and he bent over to get his food. But as he stood up with the bag in hand, his face went pale. In the reflecting glass, he could see Madame Stella standing behind him.

"Mother of God!" he shouted as he spun around and dropped the peanuts. "Don't scare me like that! You're going to give me a heart atta-" He stopped mid-sentence. The old crone was staring intently at him with her one good eye. He backed up against the vending machine in panic. "How did you find me… again!"

"You had another vision, haven't you?" she asked. "The dark one will-"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. The dark one this, the dark one that, the dark one the other thing, I don't care! How the hell are you finding everywhere I go?"

"You are arrogant!" the old hag spat. "There are things happening that are so much bigger than you!"  
"What 'things!' Make sense already! I have no idea what you're talking about! Explain it to me!"  
The ancient woman sighed. "You want to know how I manage to find you, marked one? The answer is because I have been marked by the dark one too. Ever since I met you in Kindle City, I established a connection with you so that I may find you when needed. The connection is strongest before he visits you, since I-"

"You're still making no sense!" Cody roared. "Connection? What connection?"  
"A connection that has also allowed him to find you!" she answered. Cody felt a shiver roll down his spine.

"So… it's because of you I'm having these weird ass nightmares?" he questioned. A cool breeze kissed his cheek, relieving him of some of the excess heat. He looked at the old woman for an answer. All she did was nod.

In fear, Cody turned away from the old woman and leaned against the vending machine. Even though he still found a few more pieces to the puzzle, he still had no idea what she was talking about.

"He told me to tell you something," he muttered. "He told me to tell you to stay out of his business. Do you have any idea what that means?" There was an eerie silence. He turned around to see that the old woman was gone.

Cody breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he had no clue what the bat was talking about, at least she listened to the last thing he had said and was leaving him alone.

* * *

** Last chapter before I leave, since I don't want to rush to make another one. Anyway, updates may or may not come within the next few weeks depending on my internet access and writing time, so sit tight.**

** By the way, thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. You're all too kind. : )**


	14. Chapter 14: The Truce

**Sorry it's been awhile. Vacation and writer's block don't mix, and I've been working on my Harvest Moon story, so I got a bit distracted.**

**Reviews and stuff:**

_I absolutely ADORE Elesa. She's the cutest little Blitzle I've ever read_

**How many Blitzle have you read about? lol, thanks.**

_continuing from my last review and your response. a training trip can be_

_anything, not just training, for example it can be a holiday at a lake where_

_the pokemon relax and you get some training in when storms bored, instead of_

_walking most of the day. if u need someone to help with idea's in full of them, an overactive imagination._

**I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.**

_Really enjoying it (even though i dont like the idea of killing pokemon)... Looking forward to more chapters! BTW your awesome story convinced me to make a fanfiction account to better follow it. : )_

**I didn't like killing pokemon either, but it only makes sense. I gotta get my rare steak somewhere. But that's awesome that you made an account just for this. Now I HAVE to keep up the progress, lol.**

**Thanks to my broski MagikarpMaster for editing. Woo Woo Woo! You know it!  
**

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Blitzle)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwag), Feathers (Pidgey), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Oddish (Bella)_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Nidorino, Onix, Jolteon _

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Truce**

"So let me get this straight," Laurence said to Cody over the phone, "this cute girl flirts with you, leaves her number on your cast, and you don't even call her?"

"I didn't remember her name. That would have been so awkward. Besides, I was leaving the next day anyway." Cody replied. Laurence had called him while Heather was in a battle, so he and Antonia had walked into the thicket where he could talk on the phone without a lot of noise. Bastion was sitting on his backpack. The little turtle had ace bandages wrapped around his arms, since he had a rough battle with a Bellsprout earlier that day.

"Dude," Laurence sighed, "just come out of the freaking closet already."

"Har har, very cute," Cody groaned. "I need to stay focus-"  
"You could have had a one night stand, and that's all it would have been. One night. Don't give me this shit about 'staying focused' or whatever."  
"Need I remind you, I'm not out here to get laid. I'm out here to become a champion."

"And you're missing out on all that extra fun," Laurence pointed out.

"Yeah, well…" Cody couldn't find the words to say after that. He was distracted by Antonia, who was jabbing at his knee with her sharp beak. He gave her a light kick, and she grudgingly stopped.

"Is this about Heather and what's his face?" Laurence asked.

"Nah, I'm used to them. I'm just lucky they don't show a lot of PDA, or that would be annoying."

"Well, if it is Heather that's bothering you, finding another woman, or man in your case, would help."

"Thanks, I'll remember that," Cody sighed. "Look, I'm gonna get back to watching Heather battle. I'll talk to you later."  
"Okay then… Oh, by the way, if you pass through Hattenburgh, there's this great little Mexican restaurant called Taco Taco. The prices are kinda steep, but you won't regret it."

"Okay, thanks," Cody replied. "See you around." He hung up and slipped his cell phone back into his pocket. "Let's go," he said to Antonia, who was now pecking at a nearby tree. She gave a resentful squawk before following her trainer. As the two walked together, Cody considered Jared's words. Maybe he was acting too seriously.

"Am I being too uptight?" he asked his pokemon. Antonia ignored him, but Bastion gave a small grunt. "Thanks, but was that a yes or a no?" he asked the Squirtle. He really wished he could speak turtle.

Cody arrived back at the scene of the battle to catch the conclusion of the match. Somnos fought very differently now that he was a Poliwhirl. Instead of running around and shooting bursts of water like he did when he was a Poliwag, he had become more of a physical fighter because he had steadier legs and two large fists. To protect his hands, Heather had bought him two fingerless black leather gloves, which he wore during battle since they were "league approved." Despite the transformation, Somnos still spent all of his spare time sleeping.

"Tackle it!" the opposing trainer shouted to her Azumarill. The plump aqua rabbit sprinted towards the Poliwhirl, but Somnos cleverly sidestepped the charge.

"Punch it!" Heather yelled. Somnos followed up his dodge with several well placed punches to the Azumarill's face as it turned around to face him again. The rabbit tried to slap the frog with its hands and tail, but Somnos gracefully dodged each appendage like a boxer dodges blows in a match, delivering punches of its own in between dodging. "Now Low Sweep!" Bending one knee, Somnos performed a circular leg sweep, knocking the Azumarill off balance. Before the rabbit could regain its footing, the frog sprang into the air above it and delivered a Body Slam to the prone pokemon. The assault had been too much for the opponent to bear.

"Alright Somnos!" Heather cheered as her Poliwhirl struck a pose, flexing his muscles. His new body had made him a little bit arrogant.

"He's gotten a lot better, hasn't he," Cody commented. Jared replied with a disinterested nod. The two of them were still having issues with each other. Cody understood that some of this tension was his fault, since antagonizing Jared was fun; but even so, Jared could be a real ass from time to time.

After collecting her winnings, Heather rejoined the boys with a proud Poliwhirl by her side. "Did I clean house or what? Somnos is so much better at fighting now. It's like he's a completely different pokemon." The frog croaked in agreement.

"I wouldn't get your hopes too high just yet," Jared stated. "Kito Grove gym is an electric gym, and you have two pokemon that are vulnerable to that element."

"Wow, thanks for killing my buzz right there," Heather chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Cody reassured. "I'm not so worried though. I have two ground pokemon and an electric pokemon that fuels herself on electricity. The way I see it, that badge is as good as mine."

"Don't let it get to your head," Jared said in an annoyed voice. "Gym leaders always have ways to counter their weaknesses. Just because you have ground pokemon doesn't assure you a victory."

"Whatever," Cody said, ignoring him. "We'll rock the house. My boys and I will win for sure, and you can take that to the bank."

"Why, because you beat some easy trainers in the last few weeks and you caught a Skarmory you can't even use yet?"  
"No, because all I do is win, win, win, no matter what," Cody replied with a smirk. He was acting extra cocky on purpose now just to irk Jared, but he was feeling on top of his game at the moment. He hadn't lost a battle in weeks, and his pokemon seemed to getting stronger and smarter every day.

"Oh, that's cute, quoting a song. Don't say I didn't warn-"  
"Hey, can you two of you guys battle us?" The teens were distracted from their discussion to see two younger boys standing near them. They both looked about thirteen, but what really stood out about their appearance was how raggedy they looked. They both were exceedingly thin and wear wearing dirty, ripped, clothing.

"Sure, how many badges do you guys have?" Jared asked.

"Um, we each have one," one of the boys asked. "Look, we just want to do a double battle, so does it matter?"  
"I think it would," Jared said. "I have five badges. These two," he said, referring to Heather and Cody, "have one each, but she just got out of a batt-"  
"We're not beginners," the other boy snapped. "We've been trainers for seven months. We just can't…" he blushed, "win anymore badges at the moment."  
"Well, okay, if you really insist." Jared turned to Cody. "You want to help me out on this one?"  
"Sure," Cody grunted. He had never battled on a team with Jared before, but given Jared's experience, he wasn't so worried. But he felt worry for the two boys. "What's your wager?"

"Each man throws in one hundred."

"One hundred? That sounds like an awful lot," Cody said in concern.

"What, you scared?" the other trainer taunted.

"No," Cody replied. _I'm just scared for you._

"One hundred is fine," Jared said. "Let's throw down."

"Jared, maybe this is isn't such a good ide-"

"Cody, they want to battle, so let's give them a battle," Jared said sternly.

"Okay then," he shrugged. The two teams walked to opposite sides of the large clearing. Heather sat near some trees with the camcorder, ready to film, and Antonia sat a few feet off. She was tame enough to watch battles now without running into the fray.

"Let's make this battle a two pokemon per person fight. Does that sound cool?" one of the boys asked.

"Fine by me," Jared answered. "Let's roll." Each trainer grabbed a pokeball and tossed it onto the field. Elesa came out with a whinny, and Jared's Nidorino stood beside her. He scraped his feet against the ground, itching to fight. Facing them was a Trubbish and a Duskull. "Hey Cody, can your Blitzle handle the ghost? Nidorino isn't the best choice for fighting ghost types."  
"I'll see what I can do. Elesa, Charge!" The little Blitzle let out a cry and began running around the clearing, building her electrical energy. Because of her speed, the Duskull and Trubbish didn't bother focusing their attacks on her, but went after the slower Nidorino instead. The one eyed ghost shot out a wave of darkness at the rabbit while the stinky Trubbish breathed out a purple mist of poison gas. The Nidorino easily dodged the Night Shade and ran straight through the poison gas to tackle the garbage bag pokemon. Jared's pokemon didn't seem phased at all by the gaseous cloud since he was a poisonous pokemon himself. He was hurt however by the Duskull's Shadow Sneak, but as the hit connected, the Nidorano gave a strike of retaliation via a Counter.

"Hey Cody?" Jared asked in concern.

"I'm on it. Elesa, Spark!" The juiced up Blitzle ran her electrified body into the side of the distracted Duskull, giving Nidorino the opportunity to strike the Trubbish again. The garbage pokemon fought back by spraying the Nidorano with acid, but Jared's pokemon was as tough as they come, and seemed nowhere near ready to quit. During this time, Duskull and Elesa were trading blasts of energy with each other, both taking loads of damage, but Elesa seemed to be taking these blows better.

"They're too strong. We need to blow stuff up," one of the opposing trainers said. "Let's go."

"Duskull, Will-o-wisp!" The skull ghost seemed to recite a deep voiced chant as it produced a ball of blue flame in front of it. It shot the flame at Elesa, who let out a shriek and ran away from the flame that chased her.

"Poison Gas!" the other trainer commanded. With a loud belch, the Trubbish released another poisonous gas cloud near Nidorino.

_Wouldn't he realize by now that Nidorino is immune to poison? _Cody thought to himself. There must be a method to the madness.

"Now!" Duskull's trainer shouted. The Duskull's blue flame suddenly stopped pursuing the Blitzle and flew straight towards the poisonous cloud. Cody then saw what the two were planning.

"Oh lor- Jared! Tell Nido-" It was too late. The blue flame touched the poison gas, and the mixture created an explosion. The Trubbish had gotten out of the way in time, but Nidorino wasn't so lucky. He took a direct hit from the explosion and was knocked over, his skin giving off a light smoke from the burns he had taken. Nevertheless, he managed to get to his feet, and he let out a small roar.

"Holy shit!" Cody shouted. Meanwhile, as Elesa was trying to attack the Duskull to prevent such attacks from reoccurring, the Trubbish began to run around the battle ground, burping up poisonous clouds every few steps. The grassy knoll was being turned into a minefield.

"Elesa, get out of there!" Cody commanded, but there was no good place to run with all the gas clouds around. She began to weave her way through the foggy field as Duskull sent out another Will-o-wisp. The fire started a chain reaction of small explosions, which Elesa tried to avoid, though she was hit by the last one.

"Okay Duskull, hit her directly with a Will-o-wisp!" the ghost's trainer shouted. The Duskull sent out another blue flame out towards the little horse, and it began to close in on the wounded steed.

"Head Smash!" Jared shouted. The purple pokemon smashed it's skull into the unaware Duskull. Jared's pokemon had made it over there during all the commotion and landed a powerful attack on the ghost, though it hurt himself in the process. As the ghost was knocked over, the blue flame it had shot out dissipated. Elesa stood up and began to charge the lone Trubbish, who shot a stream of sludge at the filly.

"Dodge it and use Spark!" Cody shouted.

"Take Down!" Jared ordered. Both Elesa and Nidorino circled the lone Trubbish and struck him in unison, sandwiching the pokemon between their bodies. The garbage pokemon let out one last burp and fell over. The Duskull tried to aid his companion, but Elesa and Nidorino shot a Shock Wave and a Poison Sting at the same time, overwhelming the ghost and causing him to faint. The opposing trainers returned their two fainted pokemon.

"Not bad, Storm," Jared said. "I can see why they wanted to go for a double battle. They got a nice combination."  
"You're right. We better be ready for what they got next." No sooner than Cody said that then the opponents sent out their next pokemon. The first one was an Abra, but Cody had difficulty recognizing the second pokemon at first. It was a tiny little thing, even smaller than Mars. It body was covered in a fluffy yellow coat and it had four blue eyes. After a few more seconds, Cody recognized it as a Joltlik. "Aww, it's kind of cute," he said.

"Don't let your guard down, those things are tougher than they look," Jared said. "Nidorino, Take Down!" Jared's pokemon charged the Abra, but before he made contact, the psi-fox glowed with a purple light and disappeared. He reappeared several feet away and shot a blast of psychic energy at the bewildered Nidorino, who barely dodged it. At the same time, Cody ordered Elesa to stomp the little electric spider, but the tiny arachnid rolled out of the way and jumped onto the Blitzle's side, latching itself to the horse's skin. It dug its fangs into the filly's side, causing Elesa to screech in pain.

"Get it off, Elesa!" The horse began to run around and electrify her body in an attempt to shock the spider off, but the Joltik wouldn't let go. Cody realized that the spider's Leech Life was not only hurting Elesa, but it was also draining her of her electricity.

"Hey Jared, get Nidorino to get that bug off of Elesa's side. She's getting drained."

"Sure, Nidorino, get the Joltlik!" Nidorino left his fight with the Abra and charged toward Elesa and Joltik, but before he even got close, the Abra teleported onto Elesa's back, grabbed the Joltik, and teleported away. But Nidorino had no time to change his course of action, and he ended up tackling Elesa instead. Once Cody and Jared's pokemon recovered from the accidental strike, they both looked around. Where had the enemies gone?

Suddenly, the Abra reappeared with the Joltik sitting on his head. The two shot waves of psychic and electric energy at Cody's and Jared's pokemon, which they narrowly dodged. Nidorino tried to tackle the two opponents, but the Abra teleported the Joltik and itself out of the way in time. They reappeared a few feet away, except this time, the spider shot a sticky web at Nidorino, trapping him in place. Before teleporting again, the Abra hit Elesa with a Confusion attack. The psychic blast knocked her over filly. She struggled to her feet this time, but letting out a whinny, she barreled towards the two opponents and managed to strike them with an electrical charge, knocking Abra to the ground and Joltik off of his head. But suddenly, her body flashed into a beam of light and she returned to her pokeball. Cody just gaped.

"Jared, what the hell just happened? Elesa just-"

"It's called a Volt Switch," Jared answered between the orders he barked out Nidorino, who had managed to wriggle his way out of the spider web. Between the explosions caused earlier and the attacks he had endured now, the rabbit was beginning to fade, but he continued dodging the attacks of the enemies. "It works like Baton Pass or U-Turn. Only trainer owned pokemon can use these moves, since it involves switching back to the pokeball, but usually the technique has to be taught, since opening the pokeball by willpower is hard work. It's also a legal method in standard battles for switching pokemon when you normally can't do so. You can use her again later if you want."  
"But I never taught her how to do a Volt Switch. How does she even kno-"  
"Jesus, Cody! I have no clue! Just send out another pokemon already and help me!"  
"Fine, fine," Cody grunted back. "Come on Mars!" The mole emerged with a burst and immediately burrowed to Nidorino's aid. The Abra sent a Psybeam at Diglett, but he avoided it and immediately shot a clot of mud into the Abra's face. The beam of energy did hit Nidorino though, and Jared's pokemon fell into a slump. He had taken quite a beating.

"Good work Nidorino!" Jared said as he recalled the rabbit. He picked another pokeball off of his belt. "You guys are going to want to back up," he announced to all the trainers.

"What, why?" One of the opponents asked, but Cody was already taking several steps backwards with Jared. He already knew that his partner was sending in the big guns. Jared threw a second pokeball and from the light emerged his largest pokemon: Onix. The rock snake let out a loud roar. It was still a young pokemon, being only twenty-five feet long and all, but it was still pretty ferocious in battle.

"Screech!"  
"Mars, dig!" Cody shouted. The mole got underground just in time to avoid the piercing scream that Jared's Onix released. But the Abra and Joltik weren't so lucky. They both covered their ears with their forelimbs, giving Onix the opportune moment to slap at both of them with his tail. As both pokemon hit the ground, Mars popped up on cue to smash them with a Dig. The flustered Abra teleported away by himself while the stranded Joltik avoided Mars's Bulldoze and climbed up Onix's body before latching itself to the snake's head. It began to use Leech Life, which wouldn't take a large pokemon like Onix down, but could definitely affect his mental processes.

"Hey Cody?" Jared asked.

"I'm on it. Mars! Get the spider off of Onix's head!" With a squeak, Mars popped all the way out of the ground, and scurried all the way up the snake's body to swipe at the Joltik with his claws. The spider released its bite and began to fight back with its own claws. While the two tiny pokemon dueled on the behemoth's head, Onix was swinging his tail around, trying to hit the psi-fox as he continued to teleport and strike the snake with psychic energy.

Mars seemed really out of his element, fighting in such a high place outside of the ground in which he was so comfortable battling in. The mole suddenly lost his footing and fell off the Onix's head. Jared saw an opportunity.

"Onix, Rock Throw with the Diglett!" he shouted. Before Diglett hit the ground, Onix slapped him with his tail, and by lady luck's blessing, the mole was shot like a torpedo into Abra's torso. Both pokemon landed with a thud, though only Mars stood up, wobbling a little bit. But the mole took aim and shot a ball of mud at the miniscule Joltik that was still latched to Onix's head. The arachnid made a squeaking noise and fell off. The blow of hitting the ground finished him.

"Alright, that's a wrap!" Jared said. "Good work Onix!" The snake growled in approval. Cody walked over to where Mars was sitting. The mole looked happy, but sort of out of it. Cody sprayed his body down with a potion.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the Rock Throw thing. It was sort of spur of the moment," Jared apologized. "Is he okay?"  
"I think so. I better keep him awake though. I think he might have a concussion. I really don't want him to get a brain hemorrhage." Cody picked up the Diglett and walked over to the two other trainers who looked extremely troubled that they lost.

"Well, I guess you guys win," one of them muttered. "Even if it was by dumb luck."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Jared answered. He almost sounded offended. "Granted, you guys were really intelligent double battlers. You had nice combo strategies and everything. But at the end of the day, Cody and I were better."

"Whatever," the other trainer said. The two boys began digging through their wallets for the money. As the two of them counted out their losings, Cody noticed that they had run out of big bills, and had begun to use ones and change. It was apparent that they would have little money after this, if any at all. Cody felt immensely bad.

"You know what," Cody began, "the battle was its own reward. You guys don't have to pay me my share."

The two boys gave Cody an astonished look. Jared just glared at him. _Why is he mad? I didn't say they didn't have to pay him too._

"Are… are you serious?" one of the boys asked. He looked dumbfounded.

"Completely. Just pay Jared what you owe him, but you can keep my share." There was another awkward silence. The boys looked absolutely stunned, but finally, one of them nodded. With that, they paid Jared what they owed him and left.

"Well, that was nice of you," Heather commented as she rejoined the boys.

"Yeah, a bit too nice," Jared added. Cody rolled his eyes and looked down at Mars, who was beginning to doze off. He touched the mole's bulbous nose, waking the Diglett up again.

_ Jared… It's always one thing or another with that guy…_

* * *

Cody and Antonia found their way back to camp in the darkness.

"About damn time!" Cody stuttered to himself as he and the chick reached the fire. It was now guarded by a small wall of large boulders which Cody realized was actually Jared's Onix. The rock snake pokemon proved to be a good mobile wall. Cody and his young Skarmory hoisted themselves over the Onix's body and found Jared and his Charmeleon sitting next to the fire, cooking a can of beans. Three small tents were set up behind him. Heather and Cody finally had to buy collapsible tent sets since the harsh winter would soon set in. It was more equipment to carry, but Cody did feel safer sleeping in a tent than he did out in the cold.

"Where's my pack?" Cody asked in a slurred voice as he approached the fire. "I need an antidote now."

"Over there," Jared said, pointing to the tents. "What's with your voice? You sound weird."

"I got poisoned," Cody answered. He staggered over to the tents, grabbed his pack, and dragged it over to the fire.

"What? How did that happen?" Jared asked. He actually sounded concerned.

"Well, Antonia and I were hunting and she decided she wanted to eat a Kakuna tonight. Of course, I had to take the first few bites for dominance reasons, and this happened." He finally found an antidote in his pack, and sprayed it on his tongue. It tasted like cough syrup. "I know these are meant for pokemon, but they work on us too, right?"

"Antidotes should, I believe. Does your Skarmory need one too?"

"No, steel type pokemon are pretty resilient to poison, you know. She seems okay." Cody noticed his voice was already turning back to normal. Feeling more relaxed, he stretched his arms and placed a hand on Antonia's back. She gave a small squawk, and cautiously laid her head on Cody's knee. She still didn't like him all that much, but the two hadn't fought once in the past two weeks and she seemed to be getting more comfortable with her trainer. Cody also noticed that she was getting bigger, that her skin was becoming tougher, and she was growing a light coat of tiny feathers all over her body. He was glad she no longer got into skirmishes with him, because she could probably kill him now.

Bastion, who was sleeping in his shell over near the tents, also joined his trainer by the fire, laying out in front of him. "So where's Heather?" Cody finally asked.

"Her Nidoran is hungry. They went out looking for food."

"Looks like it's just you and me then," Cody announced.

"Oh goodie…" Jared replied unenthusiastically. Cody felt the same way. Hanging out with Jared wasn't a very appealing thing to do, but it looked like it was inevitable now.

"So… what's up?" Cody asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"Nothing has been up since the last time we spoke," Jared answered flatly. He was still staring at the beans he was cooking.

"Okay… That was a nice double battle we had earlier, huh?"

"We won, so yeah," Jared replied. Cody put his head in his hand. Conversing with Jared was proving impossible.

"So… tell me about yourself. We've been traveling together for about two months, and I barely know-"  
"Cody, please, just cut the crap," Jared sighed, cutting Cody off. "I know you don't like me and I'm not particularly fond of you either, so quit pretending to be interested in my existence, okay?"

"Who says I don't like you? I'm okay with you. You're a good trainer and watching you batt-"

"That's a god awful reason to like somebody," Jared snapped as he turned his head to face Cody. He looked incredibly pissed off. "And quit lying to me. Even a retarded Zubat could see that we don't like each other. I know you think I'm pushy and annoying, but you're such a narcissist. You think you're hot shit just because you've won a few battles, but that's nothing in the grand scheme of things."

"Well, excuse me for trying to be friendly to you," Cody shot back. "I was just trying to be a decent person."

"More like fake, considering you dislike me."  
"Fine! You're right!" Cody shouted while throwing his hands up in the air. "To be honest, I can't stand you. But I'm doing this for Heather's sake. She's my friend, and she really likes you, so I'm trying to find a good reason to like you too. So if you aren't cool with me for being an arrogant bastard, how about you try to be cool with me for her sake."

Jared didn't respond for a few seconds, but just stared with a stunned look at Cody. But after a minute, his face returned to its normal bored look.

"Come on, do it for her," Cody urged. "If you score points with me, you'll double that with her."

After a few seconds, Jared let out a long sigh. "You really want to know about me, Storm?" he asked. "Well fine. I'm from Lockwood Heights. My father is dead, my mother is an alcoholic in rehab, and my little sister is in foster care. Knowing how much I wanted to be a trainer, my mother bought me a Charmander for my fifteenth birthday. I told her that it was a frivolous thing to do, given that our family is in shambles, but seeing that she's probably never going to regain custody of my little sister again, I decided that if I managed to become a professional trainer, I could become an emancipated adult and gain custody of Dina myself. It's a risk, but I could potentially reach professional trainer status faster than I could get a job straight out of high school. That job could also be a lot more stable career if I'm good. But in order to get sponsorships and big name tourney invites, I have to get recognition from the panel for Skitrexian trainers. Unfortunately, they're very picky, so I have to keep winning badges and participating in tourneys when I can. Winning the Diamond Beach Tournament would be my ace in the hole, but I'm nowhere near ready. The way I see it, traveling with you guys may put me behind schedule, but it gives me more time for my pokemon and I to perfect our craft." He breathed in deeply. "Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"Wow, I had no idea," Cody whispered. Jared's life story not only stunned him, but put his own story of family issues to shame.

"I didn't expect you to. I don't like to talk about my crap. I just pray to God that I can make it as a pro, so my sister doesn't continue to bounce between foster families forever." He took another breath. "So, what's your story, Storm?"  
Cody told Jared about his upbringing and his brother's abandonment. Jared listened patiently, but didn't seem to stir him at all, probably because Cody's story paled in comparison.

"That's harsh," he stated after Cody finished his story.

"You think so? I mean, it's not as bad as your- I mean, it's not as… crap." Cody put his head in his hand.

"No, no, don't worry about it," Jared said. "I guess we're more alike than I thought. Two misfits trying to prove something to the world."  
"Yeah… But hey, we're misfits who win, right?" Cody joked. He ran his hand over Antonia's back. Touching the feathers felt like rubbing a fish's scales backwards, since they were firm and jagged.

"Yeah, about that, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," Jared began, "when we beat those trainers today in that double battle, why did you not take the money that you won?"

"Because they looked like they needed it more than I did," Cody answered truthfully. "They didn't even have potions for their pokemon. Taking their money just seemed… well… wrong. I mean, we got experience from the match, and-"  
"Cody," Jared interrupted, "I know you meant well by doing that, but you also humiliated them. No trainer wants to be pitied."

"It wasn't pity, it was just the right thing to do. I remember meeting this guy near Kindle City who was talking about how there are a lot of trainers out there who can't get a good start and so they fall into poverty and crime," Cody explained, remembering Frank's words. "If I took that money, they may not of had enough to get their next meal or get supplies for their pokemon's health."

"All that may be true, but that's the risk you take in this business," Jared reminded him. "If it bothers you so much, don't go asking poor trainers for battles, but if they ask you, give them what they want and accept your winnings if you're victorious." He sighed. "It's a sink or swim world out there. Lucky for you, Heather, and I, we're all swimming pretty well right about now. If you're too soft about accepting winnings, you could end up like them. Imagine it Cody: having no money to buy food for yourself or medical supplies for your pokemon. What would happen then?"  
Cody was silent for a few seconds. He looked at Antonia, who had been staring at him for quite awhile now. What if Cody didn't have the potions to heal her after all of the scraps the two of them had been in?

"I guess you're right," he admitted. Suddenly, a smile sprung onto his face. "You sly dog, you're giving me this advice and all like I'm your buddy or something. You actually care about me!"

"Don't let it get to your head, I'm worried about your pokemon, not you," Jared clarified. "No matter what I think about you, it would be a shame if anything were to happen to your pokemon."

"Aw, you hear that?" Cody asked his Skarmory. "Somebody loves you." Antonia let out a small uncaring squawk.

"Your bird takes after you, you know," Jared commented, looking at Cody's Skarmory.

"Really? How do you figure?"  
"Well, you both are vain in thinking that you're the very best that no one ever was, but admittedly, you both have a lot of potential."  
"You really mean that? No bull shitting?" Cody asked. He truly felt flattered. Despite his dislike for Jared, he appreciated receiving a compliment from a much more experienced trainer.

"Yes, you've been getting better every day," Jared answered sincerely. "Even though you can come off as an arrogant douche at times, I guess you have every right to do so. Not only are your pokemon winning, but they seem to be… well… getting smarter. I mean, you can have a strong pokemon with a great battle sense, but they can still be at the mercy of their trainer's commands as far as what they believe they should do next. The way you train your pokemon I noticed, you seem to be teaching them how to think for themselves and how to solve problems on their own in a creative way. That will pay off in the future if you keep it up."

"Wow, that means a lot to me," Cody replied. "Thanks Jared. And you're not so bad yourself."  
"Thanks Cody. Maybe you'll be at my level in a year or so."

"Oh, it won't be _that_ long," Cody chuckled. "Try six months."

"There's that arrogance again."  
"Hey, don't be sipping on that haterade," Cody laughed. It was weird. The conversation had taken a good turn. "What do you say, Jared? Should we come to a truce? Put all this stupidity behind us?"

"Sure," Jared answered simply. Both trainers extended their hands in an offering of peace, but Cody's was in the form of a fist. He opened his hand so he could shake Jared's, but Jared had switched his hand to a fist at the same moment. The two then laughed and gave up on trying to shake hands or pound fists. Cody realized that he must have done something right, since Jared rarely ever seemed to laugh.

"So," Jared said as he pulled the pot of beans out of the fire, "want some?"

"Ah, what the hell, sure." A truce over food was better than a fist bump any day.

* * *

**Kind of off-topic, but who saw the last Harry Potter movie? I liked it, though it was kind of ridiculous how unintentionally funny Voldemort was. Every time he cast a spell, his voice was all "NYAAAH!" and I was all "wut?" Still, I'm glad it's over. It is kind of sad, but now I can move on with my life XD.**

** So review if you have the urge. Next chapter should be up in a week, but no promises. Peace out trainers.**


	15. Chapter 15: Knight of the Winter

**Stuff that the readers said in the reviews:**

_ And I was wondering, how would you handle pokemon that evolve through trading?_

** Evolution by trade was only created as a marketing device so Nintendo could sell link cables and promote connectivity between games. For the sake of "realism" in my take of the pokemon universe, pokemon that evolved from trading in the games would evolve by "leveling up." However, the concept of "leveling" is also stupid, since it would normally be more abstract like growth normally is. So essentially, when Laurence's Machop evolves into a Machoke someday, that Machoke will eventually evolve into a Machamp when he gets enough experience or reaches a certain age/growth point.**

_I love how he summarized his backstory with no drama, and basically stayed in character. No character breaking for his dramatic backstory! YEE!_

** That was what I was going for. I didn't want to make him so likeable, but at least draw enough sympathy for his cause. **

**Thanks again to MagikarpMaster.**

* * *

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Blitzle)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Oddish (Bella)_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Fearow, Onix, Jolteon _

**Chapter 15: Knight of the Winter**

November had arrived, and it had brought an early winter cold with it. Luckily, Cody had a winter jacket stored in his PC for the occasion, but he knew it wouldn't help him forever given the trials that winter was going to bring.

"Anyone else feel like hibernating through this?" Heather asked as she rubbed her hands together for warmth. Cody nodded, but Jared laughed.

"If you can't handle this temperature, you might want to consider packing it up and going home," he joked. "It's not going to be fun out here when the snow sets in. However, if Cody is as good with the map as he says he is, we shouldn't have any problems getting to towns as often as we can to re-supply, meaning we get to sleep in real beds then too."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm already on that," Cody said, taking another bite of the beef jerky strip he was working on. He wasn't very fond of jerky, but it was a good source of protein when there weren't any fast food joints around. After swallowing the next bit of jerky, he tore off another piece and held it out for Antonia, who was walking with him. She had reached five feet now, making her the biggest pokemon on his team, and the red flying feathers under her wings had grown in, even though they didn't have any steel fibers in them yet. These growths now made it possible for her to fly, though her flight was still limited by her youth. To help Antonia learn to fly, Cody let her spend time with Feathers (who was a Pidgeotto now), which gave time for her to imitate her fellow bird. She had yet to start growing armor, but now that winter was beginning, the process wouldn't be so far from starting.

"So, how far until we reach the next town?" Heather asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon, I think," Cody replied. "We just have to keep heading southward and we'll get there soon."

"Okay, but can we stop for a bit? My feet hurt," Heather whined.

"Come on, really?" Jared groaned. "We took a break two hours ago!"

"Please?" Heather begged. She did the lip thing and broke Jared's attempts to keep going in one simple action. He sighed, defeated.

"Fine, fine, Cody, do you mind?" he asked.

"Sure, I'm okay with it," Cody chuckled before imitating the sound of whip cracking. Jared glared, but said nothing, since he wasn't able to find a good comeback to such a true statement. The group sat down on a nearby log and relaxed in what little sunlight was still poking through the thin layer of clouds. Cody let Colossal out of his pokeball to get some air, but the little lizard didn't seem that fond of the cold air. He shivered and hugged the lower half of Cody's leg for warmth.

"He's such a mama's boy," Heather giggled at Colossal. "It's kind of cute actually."  
"Hey, in his defense, he's a reptile," Cody pointed out. "Reptiles don't like the cold."

"Cody, he may be a lizard, but he's also a mountain pokemon and a pseudo-dragon, "Jared pointed out. "He's not going to be the Tyranitar you think he'll be if you keep babying him like this. His species was meant to endure the cold like this."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Cody said, waving him off. As much as he hated to admit it, Jared was right again. Colossal had improved immensely in battle, but in order to carry himself in higher competition, he would need to be able to stand on his own without Cody supporting him at all times. But now wasn't the time to think about that. He pat the Larvitar on the head and held out another piece of jerky for his Skarmory, who nipped it out of his hand in seconds, her beak getting dangerously close to taking off one of his fingers as well.

The group had only been seated for about a minute before another trainer walked through on the pathway. The teenage boy stopped as he noticed the trio snacking and waved awkwardly. Cody cheerfully waved back before taking another bite of jerky. He kept observing the new trainer who looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Cody mentally laughed at the boy. At one point or another, every trainer had been in that awkward position where they wanted to ask another trainer for a battle, but the other trainer was looked like they were busy doing something else, making the act of asking seem imposing. After a half a minute, the boy finally spoke up.

"Um… hey…" he said.

"Hey," Cody, Heather, and Jared casually replied.

"So… um… do you any of you… you know… want to… want to…"

"Sure, I'm down," Cody answered before the question was even asked. He stood up and Colossal trailed as his feet, ready for battle. "How many badges do you have?"

"Um… I don't have any yet. I just started a month ago…" his cheeks reddened in humiliation.

"Oh, well I have one, and I've been at this for almost four months… I don't think it would be a fair fight- Antonia, stop that!" the Skarmory chick was pecking at his foot. It was this pecking that gave him an idea. "Actually, do you want to fight my Skarmory here? She's still really young and inexperienced."

The boy stared at Antonia in disbelief. "_That's _a Skarmory? It looks like a mutated dinosaur or something. Besides, why doesn't it have any armor?"

"Her armor hasn't grown in yet, but she's able to fight against younger pokemon," Cody explained. "I've only battled with her a few times and she needs some experience. You up for that?"

"Um, okay, let's do this!" The two trainers decided on a wager for the one versus one battle and then moved to opposite sides of the clearing for the battle.

"Oh, and one more thing," Cody said before the battle began. "Antonia here isn't fully trained yet. I've only used her against wild pokemon so far, so she doesn't exactly know when to quit when it comes to battles. If she beats your pokemon, you better return it right away because she will try to eat it."

The other trainer had a mortified look on his face, but he shook it off. "Okay then, we just won't lose then. Let's go Mel!" The boy threw a pokeball onto the field and a little monkey pokemon emerged from the flash. It hand a round little body and head, and a piggish nose.

"Your first trainer battle, Antonia. Make me proud!" The armorless chick ran into the clearing. She dwarfed the pig-monkey pokemon in size, but the Mankey looked much more experienced. It would be difficult for her to make the transition from fighting wild pokemon to fighting trained ones.

"Mel, Focus Energy!" Instead of focusing up like most fighting pokemon would, the Mankey got energized by screeching, jumping around, and pounding the ground beneath him.

"Antonia, peck him out!" Cody shouted, but Antonia turned her head and gave him a look as if to say 'How dare you tell me what to do!' Instead of attacking, she just continued to leer at the frantic monkey. Surprisingly enough, this worked, as the Mankey slowly stopped getting worked up and just looked at the bird in sheer terror. Even so, it was embarrassing that she wouldn't listen to him after all this time. "Okay, peck him out now?"

Antonia squawked a reply as she ran up to jab the Mankey with her sharp beak. The simian looked terrified, but it managed to roll out of the way and was ordered to use Low Kick. It delivered a kick to the back of the chick's left leg, causing her to topple over.

"Fury Swipes now that she's down!" The Mankey hopped on Antonia's back and began to scratch and tear at her with its hands. She retaliated by pecking the monkey's round body, forcing it off her back. She then took the opportunity to do some running slashes at it with her open wings. Even though the Wing Attack wouldn't be as strong until her armor grew in, her wings were still sturdy enough to knock the Mankey over and give it a bloody nose. This only enraged the pig-monkey even further as fire burned in his eyes. It sprang back up and began another wild assault directed at the bird. However, it became apparent that Antonia wasn't going to win this battle by fighting on the ground with an agile pokemon like a Mankey. To win this fight, she would need to take flight, even though she was still pretty awkward at flying.

"Antonia, you need to fly!" Cody called out. The bird ignored him and continued to stab at the Mankey with her beak, though the simian was easily dodging these predictable attacks. "Get up in the air and use Fury Attack!"

"Mel, get on its neck while it's still on the ground!" The Mankey jumped straight up onto the Skarmory's neck and tried to choke her into submission. This was effective for a moment until Antonia managed to shake the monkey off before returning to the exact same pecking strategy as before.

"I said fly, damn it!" Cody shouted angrily, only to be ignored again. None of his pokemon had ever been this belligerent. It wasn't as though Antonia didn't know what the word "fly" meant since Cody had been training her to the action ever since she first lifted off the ground. Yet she continued to do what she wanted to do rather than listen to her trainer. Finally, after watching his pokemon get beat up even more, Cody's blood was completely boiled, causing him to yell, "Fly now, or I'll kick you!"

This command actually worked. Antonia let out a screech and began to rapidly flap her wings, allowing her to pick up a few feet of altitude. Sure, she was struggling to keep airborne, being young and all, but she still managed to escape from the Mankey's wrath by flying away. She made a wide curve and scooped up a clump of dirt to toss in the Mankey's eye.

"Nice Sand-Attack! Now use a Fury Attack liked we practiced before!" Cody was stunned to see that Antonia actually listened to him this time. Maybe after taking his advice about flying, she was beginning to see that he had some idea of what he was doing. She flew up to the Mankey and began to slash at it with her talons, sharp beak, and wings. The monkey tried to fight back, but since he had been blinded by the dirt, he failed miserably and continued to get slashed up by the baby Skarmory. After the enemy monkey staggered backwards in pain, Antonia flapped her wings and created a blast of wind that cut into the Mankey like a knife. The Air Cutter had been executed perfectly. As the pig-monkey plopped over, Antonia landed on top of him and raised her beak, ready to jab it down into the Mankey's brain and begin eating. Luckily, the opposing trainer saw this coming and returned his pokemon before Antonia could kill it. Cody's pokemon looked furious at this. She obviously felt robbed since she wasn't allowed to eat the pokemon that she defeated.

"Good work Antoni-" Cody began, but he was cut off by his bird's screech directed at the opposing trainer. The boy looked terrified and began to back away against a tree. Antonia slowly began her approach, but stopped when a little flame appeared in front of her face. "NO! Bad!" Cody scolded as he held the lighter in front of the bird's beak. This shut her up, but she gave Cody a glare of death. "Sorry about that," he said to the other trainer. "She's still a little bit-"  
"INSANE!" the opponent screamed. "Your bird almost killed me! Take your goddamn money and buy that thing a leash or something!" He threw a wad of money on the ground and ran off.

Antonia made a sound that almost sounded as though she was cackling at the trainer's expense, but Cody shot her a dirty look that shut her up. "Well, that could have gone worse," he sighed.

"Well… you won," Heather stated as she, Jared, and Colossal came up to where Cody was standing.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything," Cody groaned. "Antonia is still pretty untame. I don't know how Eagle or anybody else for that matter manages to raise these things from hatchlings."

"Still… she listened to you near the end. I mean, she must have recognized that you knew what you were doing."

"Yeah, I'll give her that," Cody admitted, "but I can't keep threatening to kick her every time she acts up. I need to figure out how to get her to listen to me and fast, because it's not going to be easy restraining her once she's my height and covered in steel."

"Yeah… No offense Cody," Jared began, "but the violence thing isn't really working with her anymore. It was good when she was young, but now that she's older… well, if you treat a pokemon like a monster, they'll become a monster."

"I know, you're right, Jared… You better savor that, because I'll never say it again," he added. Cody looked into his Skarmory's eyes and saw what looked to be a raging fire. It reminded him of the monstrous Houndoom that those thugs set on him when he was a young trainer. He couldn't let Antonia become like that. As his eyes drifted to the sky, he noticed that quite a few dark clouds were moving in. "Let's find some shelter soon. It looks like it's going to storm, and you know how I hate being out in the rain."

This caused Heather to burst into laughter for what seemed to be no apparent reason.

"Is there something funny?" Jared asked, confused.

"Yes," Heather giggled, "it's hilarious that Cody's last name is 'Storm' and yet he hates… storms…" At the end of her sentence, her face suddenly fell as she realized that what she had realized was not very funny at all.

"You know," Cody said, breaking the silence, "this is why there aren't many women comedians."

"I don't think those are storm clouds, Heather," Jared mumbled. "It's November. I don't think it's going to start thundering anytime soon."

"Then if those aren't storm clouds, then what are they?" she asked. No sooner did the words come out of her mouth, the clouds above her seemed to answer the question. A lone snowflake floated among them from the heavens and landed on Larvitar's horn. Seconds later, numerous snowflakes followed.

"I think that answers your question," Jared laughed.

Cody suddenly found that he was unconcerned with Heather's failed attempt at humor and was more concerned with what the arrival of winter really meant. He looked down at Antonia, who returned his gaze with her own. It was as if she also understood what was going to happen.

"It's time."

* * *

The trio of trainers had set up camp in a cluster of trees where the snow would be blocked by the trunks and branches. After pitching the tents and starting a fire, Heather and Jared began to talk as Cody began to cook a can of Swedish meatballs. He had already fed his pokemon, and only Antonia was out of her pokeball, since he didn't want the others to catch a cold. Tonight and the many nights that would follow it would just be the two of them.

"Hey Cody, you better pitch your tent soon," Jared recommended. "It won't be fun setting it up in the dark."

"I'm not sleeping here tonight, so I'm not going to bother," he replied blankly, not shifting his attention from his food.

"Then where are you going to sleep, outside?" he joked.

"Yes," Cody answered.

"Are… are you serious?" Jared asked, even though Cody answered the question with the most serious look he could muster.

"You've been really stoic since that battle earlier," Heather commented. "What's up with you?"

Cody sighed. He knew he would have to tell them eventually, even though he didn't want to make either of them worry. "You remember when I was reading about Skarmory in the handbook? You know, about how the ones who are weak die off in the winter?"

"Yeah?" she said. "You said something about how Antonia would have to do the same, but what did you mean by that?"

"Well, as I said before, the harsh wind chill and snow is what starts a Skarmory's armor growth. Wild Skarmory chicks live up in the mountains, such as St. Anthony's, and they are exposed to the harsh winter. When they're out there every night, the ones who are strong eventually grow armor." Cody paused as a lone snowflake that had made it through the branches was melted by the fire. "Since it's snowing now, it's cold enough for us to begin. I'm going to take her out every night and we're going to endure the cold together. It will be necessary if I want her to develop properly."

"But why do you have to go with her?" Heather asked. "You could just -"  
"What? Send her out there by herself where she'll be a nice meal whatever sees a lonely little bird out in the open?" "Cody shook his head. "No. Skarmory chicks always have their mothers to watch over them during this time in their lives, so I'm going to be there with her. She needs me. And besides, this might solve all my problems. The professionals say that this is the time when a Skarmory and her trainer will form a strong bond, because I have to be as tough as she is to stand by her through this. Maybe when this is all done, she'll listen to me and respect me. It's something that all good Skarmory trainers have to do with their hatchlings, and therefore, I'm going it too."

"But Cody, it's danger-"  
"Heather," Jared cut in, "he obviously knew this from the moment he decided to drag us along on his crazy Skarmory mission. If he wants to go out and freeze to death, let him."  
"Thank you Jared… I think." Cody couldn't tell if Jared was supporting him or condemning him, but he decided to take what he could get. He put on a wool hat and a thick pair of gloves. "I'll be back in the morning. Wish me luck." With those last words out, he and Skarmory left through the cluster of trees.

After several minutes of walking, the two came to a small hill where he sat down at, since the chilling wind was blowing intensely at that spot. Cody was not looking forward to these next few months, since the Skitrexian winters were as harsh as the summers were hot, but it would need to be done. Skarmory stood proudly as she let the wind hit her lightly feathered body. It must have been instinct that drove her to do this since the frostbite she would be suffering would not be pleasant.

One hour later… Cody was really feeling numb now. He was huddled up in a ball trying to keep warm, but he still shivered. Sleep wasn't going to come easy for him in the chilling conditions. Antonia was still standing by his side, enduing the cold without flinching. Neither of the two looked at each other throughout the first hour, but it wasn't as though they needed to. Neither of them was about to give up and leave.

Two hours later… Rubbing his glove covered hands together no longer seemed to produce any heat. They felt as numb as his face, which he had now buried between his knees in an attempt to block the wind. Antonia was now sitting down with him, too tired to try to stand against the bone-chilling gale. She no longer wore a proud look but an uncomfortable one. But still, her resolve was as strong as steel.

Three hours later…Staying awake had grown painful, but sleep wouldn't come easy in the cold air when he was in a sitting position. Drowsy from exhaustion, he turned his head again to look at Antonia. Her head was now lying on the ground, and many of her soft, downy feathers had fallen off and her skin was blackened due to frostbite. This was all a part of what needed to happen though, since in order to heal themselves, a young, frostbitten Skarmory's body creates a special iron compound that would never rust. This compound would eventually build up to form the Skarmory's armor. An unpleasant process, but every Skarmory went through it to become the powerful beasts that they were known as.

Antonia noticed that Cody was looking at her, and she stared at him in wonder. Why was he doing this? There was no reason for a human to stand out in the cold like she was. Why had the human who had captured her, fought with her, and struggled with her for dominance now enduring the cold with her? Did he not wish for her to suffer alone? She pushed her forehead against his shoulder in an attempt to feel warm. She felt his hand stroking the length of her neck. Sunrise could not come soon enough.

* * *

"Oh look, another shitty motel room. Ain't that just grand?" Cody asked Bastion as he fell back onto one of the beds with the Squirtle in his arms. The turtle grunted a response and withdrew into his shell for a nap. "That seems like the right idea." He'd take a crappy motel room over kneeling out in the snow any day. But right now, he had the comfort of the room to himself and Bastion since his other pokemon were in the town's pokemon center, and Jared and Heather were still there as well.

The first night of "armor building" was more horrendous than he thought it would be. He only got about two hours of sleep in total, and it would only get worse from here on out, with little time to sleep during the day. His joints were weak and sore, and his skin felt rough and brittle, just like his throat.

"I need a shower," he grumbled to himself. It was hard to sleep when he didn't feel clean. Putting Bastion on the pillow, he stumbled over to the bathroom and began to undress. After taking his shirt off, he looked on with disgust at his body. He looked slightly stronger with all the hiking he was doing, but another word he would use to describe his appearance was lanky. He was a lot thinner than when he began since his ribs were bulging out of his sides. To make matters worse, most of the scrapes that Antonia had left in their skirmishes were still there. Some were still healing, but many that remained were destined to be scars. He used to think that having scars would make him look cool, but now that he had them, they looked disgusting in his eyes. He was glad that none of the scratches that she left on his face were permanent. _I can't wait till mom sees these. She'll have a heart attack… Then again, maybe it's better that she never sees them. _His thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door behind him.

"Oh, sorry," Heather apologized, closing the door almost all the way so she could still talk through the crack. "I didn't know you were-"

"Relax, I'm wearing pants and you've see me shirtless before. You kinda had to so you could rub me down with Neosporin." He turned all the way around to see Heather peeking through the door now. She slowly entered, and began staring at his torso. It didn't bother him so much since just about all modesty between group members was pretty much out the window, though he did feel self conscious about the scars.

"Wow… are these ever going to heal?" Heather asked bluntly.

"Some of them, yes. Others…" his voice trailed off since it was obvious what he would have said next.

"I can see why you're so serious about Antonia, after putting up with all of this and everything…" she extended her hand and touched one of the scars near his left ribs. This was all beginning to cross out of Cody's comfort zone.

"Uh, yeah… sure… very serious," he stammered.

"How are you going to get enough sleep doing this?" she asked. "I mean, we won't be able to stop a lot for naps."

"I'll manage. Plus, I only need to go out with Antonia five times a week minimum. Otherwise, I'm keeping her outside of her pokeball for good measure. I'll find time to sleep otherwise.'

"Okay. I just worry about you, you know. Sometimes I think you're insane," she laughed.

"Already halfway there," he joined in. "Um, can you-"

"Right, I'll leave," she said, and exited the bathroom.

_Well that was semi-awkward. _Locking the door after Heather left, Cody turned on the shower and let it heat up. Sometimes, it was so hard to be alone when he wanted to be. Lately, he seemed to be growing more interested in pokemon than people, almost as if he were becoming more like his brother. He knew he couldn't let that happen, but sometimes, the thought was enough to scare him.

_I'll have to enjoy my alone time now, because it will end again tonight._

* * *

The second night was worse than the first. Even after the warm shower and nap, Cody already went into it exhausted and sore, knowing it could only get worse. Antonia was also showing residual signs of the previous night. Her skin was still frostbitten, and it still wasn't building up iron yet, but maybe it would at a later date? He didn't know… All he knew was that he was suffering and it was only day two.

"Maybe this was a mistake," he whispered to his Skarmory. "Maybe I'm not ready for this kind of commitment. Maybe I shouldn't have taken on the task of raising a Skarmory as a rookie trainer." But there was absolutely no way he could quit now. He couldn't take her back to the mountains, because he wouldn't be able to find her mother and she would be too accustomed to humans, making her a danger to mountain travelers. If he were to stop with these nightly freeze outs, she wouldn't develop her armor properly and would be crippled among her kind. If worse came to worse, he could find another, more experienced trainer to give her to who could handle the responsibility. If he couldn't find a local trainer who wanted the task, there were probably trainers all across the world on the GTS who would be willing to buy or trade for a Skarmory. However, he couldn't run the risk of giving Antonia to a trainer that wouldn't do what was necessary for her to grow properly.

Then he thought of the scars that Antonia had left on him and the few that he had left on her. Even if he were to find a way out of this situation, the scars that the Skarmory left would always remind him that he had failed and that they were all for nothing. Any self-respecting trainer wouldn't be able to live with himself with that sort of reminder. For that reason, he wouldn't quit. Not just yet.

Twisting his head around, he saw how bright the distant town they were staying it was glowing. It looked warm and inviting, but he looked away. The longer he stared, the more tempted he would feel to give up and go back to the motel. He suddenly felt something pushing against his chest. It was Antonia, who was prodding at him with her head.

"What do you want?" he asked in a shivering whisper as he stood up. Antonia looked at the town and then looked at him. Then, she went back to pushing him. What was she trying to tell him?

"No, I'm not going back and leaving you here," he stated. "I'm going to see this through." He gave Antonia a soft pat on the head and sat down again next to her. It was strange that Antonia, who had always been selfish in the past, was suddenly showing that maybe she actually cared about him. Who knew? Maybe the icy therapy was working faster than he thought it would.

* * *

"Hey Cody, wake up," Heather said gently as she gave him a light shake. "We made soup."

Cody rubbed his eyes and sat up. He pulled out his phone to see what time it was. The display read 9:06 PM. He had been sleeping for the past two hours. "What kind of soup?" he questioned.

"Crushed Seedot. His Onix crushed it, and we threw in a can of smashed tomatoes. It smells pretty good."

"That does sound good," he mumbled. Then, his eyes grew wide in panic. "Oh shit! I forgot to feed my pokemon! I-"  
"Don't worry, Jared and I took care of that already," she said in an attempt to calm him down, but he would have none of it.

"Don't worry? I can't let them go hungry! That's irresponsible!" he shouted. His voice echoed in the mountain cave where they were residing.

"Just chill, your pokemon aren't that hard to feed. Your Larvitar eats rocks and your Diglett digs up roots, both of which are all around us. Don't worry about it. We know you've been swamped with training and hiking during the day, and the Skarmory thing you do at night, so we thought we'd help."

"But I shouldn't need your help," he replied with anger and frustration directed at himself. "They're my responsibility. You all have your own pokemon to look after, and I shouldn't be bothering you with mine."  
"But Cody-"

" 'Fraid he's right Heather," Jared jumped in. He was busy minding the fire and soup. "He should have fed his pokemon before he fell asleep."

"That's what I said already…" Cody agreed. He stood up and approached the fire where Jared was. As he sat down next to the flames, he was joined by Colossal and Antonia, who had been resting out of their pokeballs near one of the cave walls. He smiled weakly at both of them before partaking in the soup with the two other trainers. It was so nice to be warm again, though it wouldn't last long. "Well kids, on to night number five," he announced. "I'm going to be right outside of this cave, so I won't go far."

"Cody," Heather began to plead again, "maybe you should take the night off and get some proper rest."

"No, I need to go out again," he replied with a bit of animosity in his tone. "Just one more night, and the first five are done. I'll be able to take the next two days off before I'll need to go out with her again."

"But-"

"Just shut up Heather!" he shouted. Everybody in the cave flinched at the sound and its echo. It dawned on him that he had just been way too overly dramatic. "Sorry… that's the lack of sleep talking… I need to go." He got up and walked back to his things and gathered up his gloves and hat before rushing out of the cave in embarrassment. "I'll see you all in the morning."

The wind and snow in the mountains seemed twice as cold as it did in the flatland. To make the matter more torturous, Cody looked back at a leftward angle to see the firelight coming from the cave, which was mere meters away. _I can't look back there anymore. If I do, I'll go back in for sure. Just one more night. Just one more night…_

Time seemed to move so slowly, it was almost as if it was moving backwards. But it had only been two hours. All the while he sat on the cliff with Antonia, he had some time to reflect on his actions and the things he had said. He felt truly awful about how he had yelled at Heather, and he hoped that she could forgive him, considering that she was the only human traveling companion that he could tolerate.

"This is killing me," he muttered to himself. "How the hell am I going to survive this? How does anybody survive this?" At the very words, a gust of wind blew into him and knocked him backwards into the snow that covered the path. He tried to sit up, but he felt too weak. Closing his eyes and trying to regain his composure, he told himself that he would sit back up on the count of three. But when he reached three, his effort was ineffective. His exhaustion had finally caught up with him. _Am I going to die?_

Dragging. Something was dragging him. He forced his eyes open and realized that Antonia was pulling him by his shoe. "What… what are you doing?" Cody asked in a tired voice. The bird didn't answer, but continued to pull him. She finally reached the cave, where she left him next to the fire. After dropping his leg, she turned around to exit the cave. Cody sat back up, feeling energized after being warmed up by the fire. He made an attempt to follow Antonia back outside, but she turned around and stared at him. It wasn't a malicious stare like the ones she normally gave him, but one of compassion. She took a step towards him and pushed him back into a sitting position with her head before turning around and heading back into the snow as her instincts demanded. As she walked back out, Colossal, who was near where Cody was dropped, stood up and followed Antonia outside.

"What the hell just happened?" Cody asked himself.

"Looks like all of your nights together are paying off, pal," Jared answered. Cody snapped back to reality as he noticed Jared, who was on watch at the hour.

"What do you mean?"  
"Well, she obviously realized that you were cold, so she dragged you back inside."

"Really?" Cody asked in doubt, even though it had just happened. "That almost seems… I don't know… human of her." He wasn't even aware that pokemon of her species were even capable of empathy.

"Well, that's what you wanted, right?" Jared asked. "A smart pokemon that likes you?"

"Yeah, but…" Cody stuttered in distraction, "shouldn't I be out there with her?"  
"I don't think you need to worry," Jared replied thoughtfully. "I think she legitimately cares about you, or she wouldn't have helped you."

"I don't know… I should be out there with her if I want her to see me as dominant and-"  
"Cody," Jared interrupted, holding up his hand, "being dominant with her was necessary when she was young and bitchy. But now…" He paused so he could find the right words. "Now, I think she views you as her equal. That's how it should be. Pokemon are supposed to be your partners, not your underlings," he explained. "That bond you were talking about; I think it's beginning to form."

"Yeah, I knew that, I forgot. I keep thinking that she wants to kill me, so…" He touched his head in pain. It was as though he was having a brain freeze after being outside in the snow this long. "Hey Jared, I'll take this watch if you want. I still feel kind of awake from this heat."

"Sure, wake Heather up in a few hours then if you want a break." The older boy went over to his sleeping bag.

"Okay," he mumbled in return. After Jared passed out, Cody walked over to the mouth of the cave and looked out at his two pokemon that were sitting on the cliff. Even without her armor, Antonia looked so much more grown up as she stood among the howling wind. Colossal stood by her side, trying to look as sturdy as she did. The Larvitar's trainer was curious about why the little lizard was doing this, but he decided not to bring the little pokemon in. Maybe the mama's boy of a Larvitar was just trying to make himself stronger. Showing such commitment made him look more strapping already.

"I won't be gone forever Antonia," Cody whispered to her as if she were in earshot. "I won't let you go through with this alone." Even so, he realized that he did need this night off. After all, one of the things that he was teaching his pokemon was the ability to stand on their own. Maybe this way, Antonia would become stronger. Stronger than he could ever imagine.

* * *

**And so, another chapter has come to an end. Review, tell your friends, and enjoy the remainder of your summer. Unfortunately, I have volunteer work this week, so who knows if I can get another chapter out soon. So peace out trainers!**


	16. Chapter 16: Familiar Face

_The trainer battle was very nicely done. You portrayed the moves well, and you portray Skarmory in general nicely._

**Thanks. She'll be much more fun to write for when she gets older. I got plans. Big plans.**

_This is exactly the type of pokemon story I have been looking for :) should I be ashamed i read all the chapters in one night?_

**No, you should feel awesome. I'm flattered. Funny thing is, this is the type pokemon story I've been looking for too. What a coincidence, right?**

**Thanks to Magikarp Master for editing. What a bro.**

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Blitzle)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Bella (Oddish)_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Bagon, Onix, Jolteon _

* * *

**Chapter 16: Familiar Face**

Kito Grove wasn't that big of a town, but the aura of the little burg was calm, making it almost feel warm in the early December winds. The gym was located on the southern side of the town, and stood out from the buildings of brick, being constructed of titanium.

"Boy, they want to make an impression here," Heather commented.

"Most gyms do. The league is a pretty big deal," Jared reminded her. "But I wouldn't worry. You and Cody have been doing well lately, so this should be an easy win for you two. Me on the other hand… 6th tier is going to be hard."

"Graaawrh!" Jared's Bagon roared. The little blue dragon was the newest member of Jared's team, who he had caught in their journey through the mountains north of Kito Grove. The tiny lizard was very aggressive in battle, but still not properly trained.

"Not yet, pipsqueak," Jared aughed. You're nowhere near ready to take on a 6th tier fight. Maybe in a month or so."

"So who is the gym leader here?" Cody asked. Both Jared and Heather gave him a weird look. "What? I haven't had time to use the internet lately."

"There are two gym leaders here," Jared answered. "Ian Powell battles lower tier trainers and Viktor S-var… Sehvarshe…" Jared struggled with the name for a few seconds before giving up. "It's some Russian guy who battles the higher tier trainers. Look, his name is on that plaque." A metallic plaque was hanging near the door with two names inscribed on it. The name that Jared couldn't pronounce was "Svarsevich."

"So I'll be battling Ian then, eh?" Cody said to himself. "Doesn't matter. We're gonna win no matter what." His overconfidence was bubbling to the top of the proverbial pot now. In the past month, he had been on a winning streak, managing to defeat all the trainers at his level and even a few above. The only time he lost was in a rematch he had with Jared, but that was understandable. He didn't feel worried at all about the pre-battle he would have that day and the gym battle he would have later on in the week. "I'm taking that Voltage Badge."

"Skraa!" Antonia screeched in reply. The nights of standing outside were beginning to pay off. A paper-thin layer of flexible steel was now covering her body. She was not ready to battle in a gym yet, but she would be in a few months when the process was complete.

"Not just yet little lady," Cody chuckled. "Your time will come."

"Well, let's get in and sign up then," Jared said. The three trainers and their out-of-ball pokemon began to head into the building when Antonia suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Something wrong girl?" Cody asked.

"Cody, she probably just heard a dog barking or something," Heather said, disinterested. But Antonia had walked several yards away and stared out into the square. Just then, Cody felt a shiver, and it wasn't from the cold.

"Guys…" Cody said quietly. "You getting that weird feeling that we're being watched?"

"No, I get the feeling that you're not getting enough sleep," Jared answered. "Look, when you're done being paranoid, we'll be inside." As the other two entered the gym, Cody walked up to where Antonia was standing and did a complete 360 degree turn so he could survey the area. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though. Cars continued to drive down the road. Locals continued to pass by on the sidewalk. A stray Growlithe was busy digging through the garbage on the other side of the street. Yet Cody still had a feeling that he was being followed.

"Stella…? You there?" he asked. _No, that can't be it. If Stella were here, she'd probably appear out of nowhere and start mumbling incoherent sentences. _"Maybe I am crazy," he whispered. He touched the Skarmory chick's head. "Let's go inside. There's nobody here." However, saying those words didn't exactly sooth his consciousness.

* * *

"Raichu, Volt Tackle!" the older man commanded in a heavy Russian accent. The leader was wearing simple brown leather clothing, and his short silver hair seemed to sparkle in the flash of his pokemon's attack. His pokemon, a small orange mouse with large grey ears and a thunderbolt shaped tail, was dominating in a 10th tier battle against a game Ambipom. The two tailed monkey had taken the Volt Tackle straight on, but was still trying to get in a Double Hit attack with its appendages. However, its efforts proved futile, as the electric rodent raised its hands in the air and summoned a bolt of lightning to drop from the tiny dark cloud that hung over the arena. The Raichu had used the Rain Dance technique earlier in the fight, forming a storm cloud with water particles in the arena. The effort paid off as the lightning strike hit the Ambipom and knocked it out. The challenger had been defeated.

"Good try Amber," the challenger groaned as he returned his pokemon. The leader tsked and shook his head.

"You are a talented trainer, but your pokemon fight sloppily and waste their movements," Viktor stated. "You must eliminate your needless flashy style of battle. When you have done this, you may try again to win my badge."

"Man, this guy is awesome," Cody whispered. "That was such a good battle. Are you sure I have to battle some other guy?" he asked Jared. "Oh shut up Cody, you only like this guy because of his accent," Jared replied.

"No seriously, this Viktor guy is sweet," Cody continued. "His battling skills are incredible and his pokemon fight with such force. I seriously want to battle this guy."

"I think you're in love," Heather teased.

"I just might be," Cody joined in. He didn't care if they laughed. He just was amazed by the man's battling technique.

"Attention!" a voice blared on the intercom. "Will Cody Storm please report to the main gym floor for battle. Will Cody Storm please report to the main gym floor for battle. That is all."

"Nice, I'm battling on the main arena. Wish me luck!" He gave Heather the camcorder, stood up, and headed down the steps to the arena level. On his way down, he heard Jared's name on the intercom. He would be battling in a different room. Once he reached the battleground, which was made out of stone and hard, compact dirt, he noticed that Viktor still hadn't left the plot.

"Excuse me sir," Cody said nervously, not attempting to pronounce Viktor's last name, "I really enjoyed watching your battle. It was as though none of your pokemon's moves were wasted."

"Ah, thank you young comrade," he replied in a grateful tone. "That is how I have trained my pokemon to battle. Wastefulness leads to laziness, and so we waste nothing."

"Oh, okay." _Jesus, this guy has got to be a communist. _Not that Cody cared.

"So, you are having a pre-battle today? Will I be battling you later this week?" the older gym leader asked.

"No, I don't think so. I'm only on the 2nd tier to win my second badge," Cody admitted.

"Okay then, you will be battling Ian, my protégé. He is not here today though, so you will not be able to meet him, but you may have your battle nonetheless. I wish you luck." "Thank you," Cody replied. With those final words, a female trainer of about his age met him on the plot. "What kind of battle are we having?"

"Double battle, three pokemon, no standard switching," she answered directly.

"Sounds good to me," Cody said. The opponent took two pokeballs from her belt and released her first two electric pokemon onto the field. At first, Cody thought she had sent out two pokemon of the sane species, but the differences in their appearances became apparent. They both looked like mice, except one had blue on its cheeks, tail, and ears, while the other had red.

Cody was about to send out Mars and Colossal, since, being ground types, they could probably clean sweep this trainer's electric pokemon; but his ability was getting to his head. Why make the battle easy? He wanted a challenge. Putting Mars's pokeball back in its place, he smirked. This fight would still be easy.

"Colossal! Bastion! Do your thing!" The Squirtle and Larvitar appeared on the field. "Rock Slide! Water Gun!" The lizard stomped on the earth and summoned several large stones popped onto the surface. He then charged the two rodents on foot while the stones rolled by his side. The turtle ran behind him, shooting blasts of water at the foes from afar. The Plusle managed to evade the stones, but the Minun was hit by the Water Gun, leaving him open to be hit by the rolling rocks. Seconds later, both mice, even the one who was hit, went into a Quick Attack and rammed their tiny bodies into Colossal's sides. However, he shrugged off the weak collisions and kept running with the rocks, as he made a wide turn and tried to hit the mice again. This time, both of the cheering pokemon dodged the rocks and the water stream with ease, and tried for another quick attack, only to fail again. A different strategy would be needed.

"Minun, Spark to the Squirtle! Plusle, Copycat!" The Minun turned its attention to Bastion and tried to hit him with an electrical tackle, but Cody barely noticed this when he saw what the Plusle did. As his Larvitar charged the red mouse with his legion of rocks, the Plusle hurdled Colossal's horn and briefly touched the Larvitar's head before hitting the ground. But as it hit the ground, a cluster of rocks popped up around the Plusle's feet.

_What? How could it do that? Do Plusle even have that sort of connection with the earth? _It took Cody a few seconds to figure this one out. Upon briefly touching Colossal, the Plusle managed to temporarily absorb some of the Larvitar's "earth bond," allowing it to have control over the rocks, even though it normally wouldn't have such control. "Take it out before it gets too powerful!"

This command wasn't followed through so well. Bastion was about to spray a stream of bubbles at the Plusle to slow it down, but he was electrified by the Minun that rammed into his chest with a charged slam. It all came down to Colossal and Plusle charging directly at each other with their stones in tow. Colossal proved victorious in this face off, since attacking with rocks was his specialty and all, and the Plusle was thrown backwards, but it managed to re-summon its stones and went in with a little help from its friend.

"Minun, Helping Hand!" The blue mouse ran up behind its partner and began jumping up and down, cheering its friend on as bluish sparks danced on its cheeks. With the encouragement of its partner, the Plusle ran with its stones back towards the Larvitar. This time, the rolling stones from both sides were equal in power as they collided, and both pokemon were at a standstill as they pushed against each other. This would have been a perfect opportunity for Bastion to attack, since it took the effort of both Plusle and Minun to hold off Colossal's attack, but he was still climbing to his feet after being hit by the Minun's Spark. It wouldn't be long before the mice would be able to overpower the lizard by the use of teamwork. It was time to take a risk.

"Sandstorm!" Letting out a yell, Colossal stirred up a twister of swirling sand that engulfed the battlefield. This gave him an edge in pushing back on the stones, since the sand was whipping against the faces of the rodents, tearing off bits of their outer layer of skin and fur. However, this sandstorm acted as a double edged sword, since it was hurting Bastion as well. The Squirtle had made it to his feet, but the flying dirt wasn't doing him any favors.

"Don't give up guys! Keep pushing!" the opponent shouted.

"Bastion, Water Gun, now!" The turtle shot a blast of water through the sand, collecting the particles dirt it passed before drenching the Plusle in water and mud. With this distraction, the Plusle lost its focus and Colossal trampled it with its Rockslide before he started chasing the Minun. Before the Plusle could stand up again, Bastion ran forward, took a flying leap, and drove an Iron Tail into the red rodent's torso, ending any hope of it continuing the fight.

"Plusle, return!" the other trainer said as she sadly recalled her pokemon. But without wasting a moment, she sent out a new electric pokemon. A small striped pokemon with two prongs on its head appeared and let out a shrill cry. It was an Elekid.

"Colossal!" Cody shouted, "Keep the sandstorm up! Bastion, spray that Elekid down!"

"Dodge it Elekid, and use Shock Wave!" The pronged pokemon rolled out of the way of the water blast and sent out two waves of electricity at Colossal and Bastion. The Squirtle was thrown back by the wave, extremely damaged, and the Larvitar was knocked off of his feet (he wasn't hurt by the attack, due to his element, but it had a pushing effect.) Immediately after he was swept off his feet, the Minun managed to get in a tackle on the prone turtle. Bastion shoved it off, but he looked exhausted.

"Colossal, Rock Throw!" Cody commanded. He knew that Rock Slide wasn't going to work against a fast pokemon like Elekid, so going for range would be a better option. But the Elekid was too fast, even for that. It jumped out of the way and tried to use Low Kick on Bastion, but the Squirtle evaded it by nearly inches.

"Minun, help him out! Speed him up!" The blue mouse squeaked in response and hopped onto the Elekid's back, plugging loads of negatively charged electricity into his ally's body. The Elekid let out a shout as he absorbed the energy from the blue battery pack and ran towards Bastion at light speed. Colossal tried to hit him with a Horn Attack, but the pronged pokemon simply punched him out of the way as though he were nothing and kept charging. When he finally caught Bastion, the two were locked in hand to hand combat, but the Elekid quickly overpowered the tired turtle and held him up to his prongs. Once between the two appendages, Bastion was electrified by both electric pokemon. After a few seconds of this, he fell limp and was thrown onto the ground like a rag doll.

"Good effort! Return!" Cody called his turtle back and sighed. He knew Bastion wasn't going to do well against electric pokemon, but he was worried now. This pre-gym trainer knew what she was doing, so he'd have to take her seriously and use Mars. Nervous, he glanced around the arena as he stuck Bastion's ball back onto his belt, but as he was about to take Mars's pokeball off, he froze in fear. On his left in the seating area, he saw somebody who he hadn't seen in months… Frank: the trainer that had saved him from the Houndoom, but also the same trainer who Heather and he found with Cipher clothing. But why was he here in this gym? Did he know that Cody and Heather were the ones that tried to expose him? Was it him who was watching them outside? And why was he smiling like that? As his and Cody's eyes met, Cody looked away. Something was wrong here, but he couldn't be distracted. He had to win this battle. "Let's go Mars!"

The pokeball he threw exploded, and Elesa came out with a loud cry. Cody looked at her, dumbfounded. He had meant to send out Mars, but he accidentally grabbed the wrong pokeball after Frank had distracted him. But it was too late now. He'd have to make do with the Blitzle. "Elesa, Quick Attack!" The little horse bolted towards the Elekid with the Minun on its back, but it was too fast for her to catch. Elesa shifted into a Pursuit, but she couldn't catch up with the Elekid as long as it was being powered by the Minun; that, and the sandstorm was holding her back, because it was hard for her to chase her opponents in the swirling soil. He told Colossal to call off the sandstorm, even though he knew this would give the Elekid an advantage over the Larvitar.

"Horn Attack!" both trainers shouted simultaneously. The Elekid and the Larvitar sprinted for each other at top speed, but at the last second, the Elekid sidestepped, and smacked Colossal with both of his prongs, knocking him over. The Elekid had little time to gloat though, since Elesa had finally caught up with it and smashed her entire body into its side. Her body was glowing with electricity, and she was about to hit the Elekid with a Shock Wave.

"No, don't do that, it won't work well!" Cody shouted, and his Blitzle hesitated. The Elekid was about to take a swing at Elesa, but suddenly, her body flashed with an unbelievably bright light. Was she evolving? No, because when the light ceased, a Blitzle was still standing there. However, everybody; the pokemon, the trainers, even the audience was rubbing their eyes from the flash. Flash… that was what Elesa had done. Without an outlet for that excess electrical energy she had built up, she had expelled some of it in the form of a bright light. But by doing this, she had temporarily blinded Elekid and Minun, who were standing right next to her. Taking advantage of this, she gave the Minun a strong Headbutt and detached it from the back of the yellow and black striped pokemon. The blinded pokemon began to stagger about before getting "back heeled" by the zebra. Colossal, who had recovered from the blinding flash, caught the flying mouse, and slammed it into the ground under his weight, incapacitating it for the rest of the battle.

Now it was two one, but before Cody could get his monsters to take advantage of this, the Elekid knocked Colossal over with a powerful Low Kick before Elesa stuck him with a kick of her own. The two pokemon began trading punches and kicks, but Elesa's slightly larger frame was absorbing the shots better. Suddenly, Elesa managed to pin the Elekid to the ground with her hooves, and letting out a long whinny, she began pumping electricity into the pronged pokemon.

"Stop that! You don't want to recharge him!" Cody shouted, but Elesa either didn't hear him, or didn't listen. But after a few seconds, the Elekid screamed in pain and passed out as his body crackled with excess electricity.

"Looks like I win," Cody said casually as Elesa happily ran circles around Colossal and the opposing trainer returned the Elekid. Still, why did electricity end up being what defeated the Elekid? But he didn't care. The battle was won.

"You battle with such confidence," Viktor said as he approached the plot. "While I may not agree with your style, you did well. I'm sure you will be fine when you battle Ian."

"Thank you sir," Cody replied.

"Also, that Blitzle of yours is quite impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if she evolved soon. Raise her well, because electric pokemon are strong and dependent. Again, I wish you luck."

"Thanks again." Cody said, absorbing the older man's approval. His happiness died down though when he saw Frank from the corner of his eye. The man with the mohawk was still smiling. Why? After returning his pokemon, he slowly made his way back to where Heather was sitting and whispered, "you see him?"

"Yeah, I see him," she replied under her breath. "He's already seen me."

"He's looking at us right now-"

"Attention!" boomed the intercom, cutting him off. "Will Heather Landon please report to the main gym floor for battle. Will Heather Landon please report to the main gym floor for battle. That is all."

"Well, here goes nothing," Heather said as she left her seat. Cody sat down again and focused on Heather. He didn't want to accidentally look at Frank again, because every time he did, it felt as though the guy was trying to probe his mind. Hopefully, the guy wouldn't come over and talk to him. And hopefully he wouldn't try to start a conversation after he left. Just the thinking about the guy felt dangerous.

_How can we get him to stop following us?_

* * *

In the late hours of the night, Cody was busy staring at a book, reading the small print on the pages. After the pre-battle and day training, he decided to spend some of his late hours studying. Tonight wasn't a freeze out night with Antonia, so he figured that curling up with a book would be a nice change of pace.

Bastion gave a small yawn, and Cody patted his Squirtle's head. He felt bad that he couldn't spend as much quality time with his first pokemon, due to the attention he had to give to the others, especially Antonia. But tonight was just the two of them, even though they were just lounging on a couch in the pokemon center. The turtle was exhausted after the battle that he had that day and the extra treatment he was given to deal with his electricity burns, but he still seemed in good spirits.

"I thought you'd be here," Heather said as she appeared behind him.

"Yeah, well I need to take advantage of these cushy centers while I can before we get pushed into a dirty motel."

"That's smart of you," she admitted. "What have you been doing?"

"Well, I uploaded the pre-battle video to my blog and read some of the comments people have left. Maybe after awhile I'll become an internet celebrity, like that guy that hides under the blanket and cries."

"Haha, good luck to you on that," Heather giggled. "What book is that?"

"Bleeding Together by Cynthia Bishop," he answered. "It's her autobiography. I just bought it today, and I love it." "Cynthia… Cynthia…" Heather mumbled as she tried to remember who that was. She sat down next to Cody and Bastion as she continued to ponder. "She's the Sinnoh Champion, right?"

"Correct," Cody said. "She's been champion for almost five years now, and she's only twenty-eight, making her Sinnoh's youngest champ in the last fifty years. Her story is pretty cool, but I really love it how me and her have a similar battle strategy."

"Oh really? What's that?"

"Abstract thinking incorporated into a fight. It's different than how a guy like Viktor does things, but it works. It has for her anyway, so I know it will work for me. She's definitely my favorite professional trainer right now." He closed the book and looked at the cover, which showed the beautiful blonde's face and upper body. _My god, she's perfect. Elegance, beauty, and skill, all wrapped up in that sexy body. _"Hey Arceus, if you're real, this is all I ask for," he said as he pointed at Cynthia's picture while looking up at the ceiling.

"So she's your current celebrity crush, huh?" Heather asked with a giggle. "Does Viktor know about this?"

"Shut up, it's not as though you don't have one."

"Yeah, but it's totally irrelevant," she said defensively. "To be honest, you are more likely to meet her than I am likely to meet Elijah Wood, being that you-"

"Stop, stop!" Cody silenced her while waving his hands. "Did you just say Elijah Wood?" Heather didn't answer him as she blushed. "Why Elijah Wood? He looks like a total nerd. Somebody better tell Jared that you've got your heart set on a hobbit," he laughed.

"Yeah, about that," Heather started in a concerned voice in an attempt to change the subject, "should we tell Jared?"

"About our celerity crushes?"

"No, you idiot, I'm talking about Frank!"

"Oh shit, I forgot about that." That was a lie. The Frank appearance was still on his mind, though he was trying to suppress it. He still wanted to believe that seeing Frank was all just a coincidence and that he wasn't a part of a criminal organization whose uniforms looked strikingly similar to the Cipher. But how could he know for sure? "Have you told Jared anything about Frank or that night we met him?" he asked.

"No… I haven't told anybody about that," she confessed.

"Me neither. I thought they'd think I was crazy," he sighed. "Besides, we had no proof that he was a Cipher. Maybe that helmet was just for motorcycle riding?"

"Cody, why would he bring a motorcycle helmet into the forest?" Heather asked thoughtfully. "He obviously had it for… whatever the hell they use those helmets for. I don't know, disguise?"

"That's probably it," Cody agreed. "Still, there's little we can do about it now. I think it's way too late for us to file a police report on a hunch we made awhile back. Also, he is a trainer. Maybe he was in town and wanted to watch some trainers fight in the gym?"

"I know you don't believe that, and I don't either," Heather whispered. It had suddenly occurred to both of them that Frank could just as easily walk into the pokemon center, so it was better to keep their voices down. "It's a little bit odd that he appeared in the gym after we did, especially when you thought we were being watched outside." She stopped again as a new question burst into her mind. "What I want to know is why he's following us, if he _is_ following us that is. We haven't done anything or said anything… okay, we may have cost him a couple recruits when we left that helmet sitting out, but still! It's not as though we've hurt his group in anyway. I haven't read or heard anything on the news about any huge criminal organizations in Skitrex."

"Maybe they're trying to lay low?" Cody questioned. "Look at other criminal organizations. Team Rocket fell twice to a trainer revolt because they were so public. Team Galactic fell apart due to the corruption of their leader. Maybe they're trying to be less obvious. I mean, did you hear what Frank was saying? Helping poor trainers get better at battling and running soup kitchens doesn't sound like the operations of a terrorist organization." He shook his head. "We're probably just overanalyzing this and jumping to conclusions. We don't know anything about Frank or this organization he's in or anything." Another long pause enveloped the discussion.

"Hey Cody," Heather asked meekly, "Didn't the Cipher also fall to a trainer revolt in Orre?"

"Yes, but I couldn't tell you the details," he told her. "How would it be possible that they have a branch in Skitrex… I guess it's possible, but you think we would have heard about shadow pokemon by now in the media, because that was one of the group's primary weapons. None of it makes any sense." He looked over at Bastion, who had fallen asleep. The Squirtle seemed to be unaware of his trainer's conflict. "Whatever the case, I hope we never see any of them again. I don't want any trouble with them. That's something for the law to handle."

"You're right," Heather agreed. "If you don't disturb the Beedrill hive, the Beedrill won't disturb you, right?"

"Yeah, I hope so," Cody said. "Let's just hope that-" He stopped talking as he felt his heart stand still. "Holy shit, he's back!" he whispered.

Heather looked to see what he was looking at. It was Frank, and he was standing at the counter. The dark haired nurse took the pokeballs that he handed to her, and he nonchalantly walked over towards the food court in the pokemon center. Either he didn't notice them, or he was doing really well at pretending not to.

"I think we should go to bed now," Heather suggested. "I really don't want to be around for when he comes back."

"Yeah…" Cody agreed. "I just hope we don't have to avoid him all week… and I hope I didn't just jinx us."

* * *

**I feel like I'm being too predictable. Whatever the case, thanks for your time and the reviews. It will be harder for me to update when school starts, but I'll do my best. Peace out trainers!**


	17. Chapter 17: Fast Forward Part 1

_No offense, but are you ever going to consider evolving any of Cody's Pokemon?_

**I DO TAKE OFFENSE! Lol, jk. As I've said before, there will be no super Pikachu in this story. I have plans for when they'll evolve, so sit tight.**

_I didn't know Bishop was Cynthia's last name!_

**I looked to see if she had one, but nothing was mentioned on Bulbapedia, so I just gave her one. It's not official or canon, but since she doesn't have one, I decided to fill in the blank.**

**So yeah, school is going to hinder my work a lot, but here's chapter 17. Oh, and it's mostly battle sequence, so strap in and enjoy.**

**Thanks to Magikarp Master for editing.**

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Blitzle)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Bella (Oddish)_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Nidorino, Onix, Jolteon _

* * *

**Chapter 17: Fast Forward (Part 1)**

It was the night before Cody's second gym battle, and his day had been completely stacked. After a night outside with Antonia, he got a quick morning nap before taking his pokemon out for some easy practice battles. Afterwards, he took his pokemon to the fitness center below the pokemon center to help them work on their strength and cardio.

Teaching pokemon how to use exercise equipment was no easy feat, but it paid off nicely over the passing months as Cody noticed his partners getting stronger by the day. Most of the equipment in the center was made for human use (since trainers often worked out as well) but simple adjustments could be made for pokemon usage. Currently, Bastion was swimming laps in the pool, Colossal was doing push-ups with his stubby arms, Mars was pulling a large weight, Antonia was lifting weights by her wings (which were attached to her wings by straps) and Elesa was running on a treadmill next to Cody. Naturally, she was running at a much faster pace than him, but oddly enough, she seemed to be sweating more than him.

"You still down here?" Heather asked from behind him. She had to shout it so Cody could hear her over the roar of the treadmill. When he realized that somebody was speaking, he turned off the treadmill and greeted his friend.

"You were saying something?"

"You've been down here for hours," Heather commented. "Shouldn't you get some rest? You have to take Antonia outside soon and-"

"My battle isn't till seven tomorrow, so I have some time to rest then. A warm up the night before is the best way to prepare."

"Oh, I see…" Heather looked over at Elesa and noticed that the Blitzle was having a difficult time running. "Why's she struggling? I've never seen her get tired of running."

"She's literally recharging her batteries," he explained. "I doused her down with some water, which if done enough, can put out the electricity in an electric pokemon's body, sort of like what happens if you were to throw a Gameboy into a pool."

"Oh… Why did you do that?" Heather asked.

"Elesa powers everything she does with electricity, including her running. When you take that away from her, she has to rely more on her physical strength like the rest of us. Not only does this improve her physical prowess, but it's also good practice for her to recharge her energy through running, since she always runs the risk of being doused to the point of no voltage when she faces water pokemon."

"Wow, you really thought this through, haven't you?" Heather said. "You'll do well tomorrow. Not so sure about myself though. I don't think Bella will be able to hold her own yet in a second tier battle, and Feathers and Somnos have an elemental disadvantage. Looks like it's going to be up to Nadine to carry us to victory, but I don't know if we can…"

"Well not with that attitude," Cody assured her. He glanced over at his Blitzle, who was beginning to get her stride back as the electricity was beginning to accumulate in her body. "By the way," he whispered, "you didn't see Frank upstairs, did you?"

"No, he's not there," she replied. "What do you think he's planning? He could have confronted either of us before now if he wanted to."

"I still don't know," he said. "I don't want to think about it right now with the badge battle tomorrow. Let's just keep our eyes open and try not to start anything."

"Yes, I guess that's all we can do," she agreed. "You want to go get dinner?"

"Okay, sure. Just give me a few more minutes down here. I'll see you in the food court."

"Okay," she said cheerily before heading back upstairs. Cody found it hard to be that happy when he felt like he was being stalked. But as the days rolled on, it seemed harder and harder to believe that Frank's presence was a coincidence.

* * *

Nineteen year old Ian Powell seemed to be the exact opposite of Eagle in his appearance. He was a lanky redhead with short hair and thick rimmed rectangular glasses. However, this took nothing away from his battling ability. He was an electric pokemon trainer who had made the top 16 in the 2010 Diamond Beach Tournament, and had been working on his craft as a gym leader since. Lucky for Cody and Heather, Ian was using his second tier pokemon instead of his top leveled ones, but that didn't stop him from soundly defeating Heather with one pokemon to spare.

After Heather lost, Jared was up next against Viktor. The two had an epic six vs. six battle, in which Jared managed to just barely pull out a win, therefore, receiving his 6th badge: the Voltage badge.

"Good job bro," Cody congratulated as Jared rejoined Heather and him in the stands.

"Thanks, good luck to you," he replied.

"Thanks," Cody said, "but I don't need luck."

"Arrogance," Jared reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey Heather, remember to catch my good side," he said as he passed her the camcorder. As he descended the steps, he got a good look at Frank, who had been watching from the other side of the arena since Heather's match. How did he know when they were scheduled to fight? _It doesn't matter. I'm going to win this badge and show him that I'm not to be fucked with._

"So you're next, huh?" Ian asked, disinterested. "Do you know the standard rules?"

"Yes," Cody answered with confidence.

"Okay then," he continued. "For a second tier battle, we'll use four pokemon each. Good luck to you, kid."

"Thanks, but I don't need lu-" This time, Cody stopped himself from finishing the sentence, since saying it to a respected gm leader would be rude. _I better keep a cap on my ego. _"Err… thanks."

"Don't mention it," Ian replied with an irritated expression. He knew what Cody was about to say, and now he was giving the challenger a "who does this noob think he is?" look.

The two trainers walked to opposite sides of the plot, faced each other, and the referee began his routine.

"This is a second tier battle for the Voltage badge! Challenger Cody Storm vs. Kito Grove Gym Leader Ian Powell! This battle will follow standard rules, and each trainer is allowed four participants! Trainers! Ready your pokemon!"

Cody reached for Mars's pokeball, and dramatically held it up in front of him at arm's length. He heard some of the audience members giggle at him as he was trying to look stylish and dramatic. _Oh well, I'll work on my draw later._

"Begin!"

"Let's rock the house, Mars!" The Diglett burst from the pokeball and looked up at his opponent: a tiny floating eel thing with an electric pattern on its side. "Mud Slap!" The mole grabbed a clod of earth and threw it at the eel, but the eel effortlessly avoided the dirt.

"Tynamo! Thunder Wave!" The Tynamo sent out several bluish waves of electricity at the mole. The first few waves were easily dodged, but the last one hit Mars and he was stopped temporarily (but since he was a ground element pokemon, the paralysis would wear off shortly.) "Now Charge Beam!" The elefish began sending out miniature electric beams at Mars. The first one hit, though it didn't do much damage. After the initial blast, Mars began to evade these electrical bursts with ease. However, it wasn't the electrical bursts themselves that were causing the Diglett problems, but the damage the Tynamo was causing to the ground they were fighting on. Every time a Charge Beam hit the ground, a small explosion of electricity and dirt was born, which was another hazard that Mars had to deal with.

"Don't let him get you! Mud Bomb!" Mars began shooting balls of moist dirt bombs at the floating eel while it fired back with charged blasts, both pokemon missing their targets by miles. It soon became apparent that this match-up was a stalemate. Neither of the pokemon would be able to subdue the other in their battling styles, and even if they did over a long period of time, the victor would be too exhausted to be of any use after the match-up was won. Cody figured that he would be better off using his switch to send out a different pokemon, increasing his chances of beating the Tynamo, as well as saving Mars for a fight in which he would prove to be more useful. Cody held Mars's pokeball in the air to signal his switch. The ref nodded, and Cody returned his pokemon. He had a better pick in mind for fighting the flying elefish.

"Do your thing, Colossal! Sandstorm!" The Larvitar emerged on the battlefield and immediately started up a mass of twisting sandy winds. This was definitely his best bet to take on the Tynamo, since it wouldn't be able to evade as many attacks in the air when it was full of sand. "Now Rock Throw!"

"Dodge it and use Tackle!" Ian blurted in panic. The Tynamo dodged the first rock that Colossal threw at it, but before it could make contact, it was hit by the second rock, which pinned it against the ground.

"Body Slam!" The Larvitar ran towards the trapped eel and hurled its body at it. But before contact, the Tynamo slipped out from under the rock and avoided the attack before slamming into the Larvitar with a Spark, which didn't hurt the target all that much.

"Aim for the horn!" Ian shouted. The eel shot a Charge Beam at the lizard's horn, which actually seemed to have a significant effect on the pokemon, as he stumbled and fell over. "Now Tackle it again!"

"Get up and hit back!" Cody yelled. Colossal managed to strike the oncoming eel with its horn and knocked it to the ground again. However, before it could raise itself back up in the air, the Larvitar stomped a cluster of rocks up to the ground and charged the Tynamo, bowling it over. The eel had failed.

"Tynamo is unable to battle! Larvitar is the winner!" the ref shouted.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Ian told the challenger. "You still have three of my pokemon to go."

"Well show me what you got," Cody retorted, flashing a cocky grin. Ian scowled and sent out his second pokemon. Cody's smile faded when he saw which pokemon it was: a tiny yellow mouse pokemon with red cheeks and a tail shaped like a thunderbolt stood confidently on the dirt plot. He remembered this Pikachu being the destructive force that took out Heather's Poliwhirl in her gym battle. Since Pikachu weren't native to Skitrex, he had never battled one before, so he would have to work with the knowledge that he had gained from watching Heather's fight. "Colossal, keep the sandstorm up and use Horn Attack!"

"Split!" Ian shouted. Before Cody could figure out what that command meant, the Pikachu's body crackled with electricity, and with a loud squeak, it appeared to split into two Pikachu by the use of Double Team. Both the illusion and the physical Pikachu charged at Colossal, who tried to strike the rodent with his horn, but ended up going after the wrong Pikachu. The real Pikachu then slammed its entire body into the Larvitar's side, knocking it off its feet. "Now Headbutt!" The mouse turned around in its Quick Attack and sprang off the ground in order to smash its skull into the Larvitar's chest. Colossal managed to roll out of the way at the last second. After shaking off the miss, the Pikachu was about to split into two images again, but Colossal let out a loud screech that caused the rodent to lose focus. The lizard then stomped the earth to summon a rock, but instead of a rock popping out in front of him, the rock popped out of the earth where the Pikachu was standing, launching it off the ground. Cody was impressed. He had never taught Colossal to hit enemies via rock stomping, so this was a nice sign of improvement.

"Colossal, that was really good! Rock Throw!" After rock stomping again, he threw several more stones at the mouse, but only scored one hit. The mouse began to circle Colossal at lightning speed. The Larvitar tried to rock stomp the mouse again, but it was too fast. It leapt into the air and smacked the lizard with a silvery glowing tail. _An Iron Tail._

The metallic tail made a cracking sound as it sliced against the Larvitar's neck. Colossal let out a scream of pain and grabbed at the gash that was made. Bits and pieces of his rocky skin were lying on the ground, but the lizard was not done yet.

"Chip Away!" Cody shouted. As the Pikachu tried to smack the Larvitar with another Iron Tail, but Cody's pokemon thrashed his fists and horn at the oncoming mouse and managed to knock it out of the way.

"Tail Whip!" Ian shouted.

"Don't fall for it!" Cody shouted, but his Larvitar was to frustrated too hear this command. He recklessly charged the taunting Pikachu, only for the electric rodent to hurdle his horn and smack him on the back with another Iron Tail. Colossal let out another yelp as he fell on his stomach and reeled in pain. As he did so, the sandstorm began to subside.

"Now's your chance! Rain Dance!" Ian shouted. While Colossal was still down, the Pikachu began to do some sort of ritualistic sort of dance. Cody bit his lip as shivers ran down his back. He wasn't sure how the Rain Dance technique worked, but it seemed to transcend scientific explanation, though the ritual was connected with a pokemon's tie to nature. Slowly, small dark clouds began to form above the arena, and small rain drops began to fall onto the field. By this time Colossal had risen to his feet again, dripping wet from the drizzle. The Pikachu's body was now crackling with electricity in excitement from the miniature storm clouds. This sizzling electricity was also keeping the rodent dry, which explained why it wasn't losing electricity from the rain clouds.

"Rock Slide!" Cody shouted. Colossal summoned a bunch of stones, and he chased down the Pikachu, who quickly dodged the assault, and let out an intensified Thunder Shock at the Lizard, who was effected more than he would have been, since his body was covered in water. Dropping the rocks, Colossal went into desperation mode, trying one last time to gore the enemy, but the Pikachu jumped on top of his head and wouldn't let go.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Bigga bagga!" the rodent squeaked loudly. A bolt of lightning fell from the little storm clouds and hit the mouse, transferring to the lizard. Colossal let out one last scream before falling unconscious.

"Larvitar is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"

"Good effort Colossal!" Cody called out as he returned the fallen Larvitar to its ball. He didn't know who to send out next. Mars was a good option, but he wanted to save him for a later match-up, for whoever Ian's final electric pokemon would be. Elesa would be a good neutral option, but this Pikachu was tough, and could most likely outclass her in an electric versus electric match. Then there was Bastion. The Squirtle had the advantage of the rain clouds that the Pikachu set up, which could add to his power, plus his water attacks could make the mouse's electricity fizzle out. However, the risk of being electrocuted was an obvious one. But it was one he was willing to take.

"Time to play, Bastion!" The Squirtle emerged and looked over fearlessly at its opponent. "Don't let it get to close to you! Water Gun!" The turtle shot a blast of water at the Pikachu, which seemed to be bigger due to the rain's empowerment. The mouse dodged the blast, and on his trainers command, used Double Team once again to split its image into two Pikachu. Bastion shot a second blast of water on the charging mice, but missed both of them. The mice then rammed into Bastion with Quick Attacks, but it was hard to tell which one hit him and which one just "phased through." Letting out another squeak, the Pikachu split two more copies of itself, and they all surrounded Bastion, their cheeks crackling with electricity. Luckily, a light bulb turned on in Cody's head. "Rapid Spin and use Water Gun!" Withdrawing into his shell, Bastion spun around and shot water out of the holes in his fortress. Each Pikachu was hit, dissolving the copies, and hitting the original in the chest.

"Alright, no more games!" Ian shouted. "Thundershock!" The Pikachu began shooting shots of electricity at Bastion, who fell to all fours so he could out maneuver the lightning strikes, but eventually, he was hit. But before he could regain his composure to escape again, the Pikachu smashed into his shell with a Spark. Cody looked in horror as his final pokemon was brought to his knees by two simple electric moves.

"Defend yourself!" he screamed in fear. Both pokemon used Iron Tail at the same time, making a clanging sound as their appendages hit. But after the collision, the Pikachu brought its tail around at lightning speed to smack Bastion in the chest, knocking him over. The Pikachu stood on top of the turtle's chest and its cheeks crackled with excitement. Cody knew what was going to happen next, but he couldn't utter a single word. The words he shouted earlier kept ringing in his head. _Defend yourself._

"Bigga bagga!" the Pikachu shrieked, as lighting fell from the clouds and electrocuted the Squirtle… or so it seemed. When the lightning had ended its strike, everybody in the room looked in shock as Bastion's body, which was protected by a bluish-green bubble. Cody beamed at his pokemon with pride, as it had just used Protect for the first time.

"Iron Tail!" Bastion flung the bewildered Pikachu off of his chest and doing a flip, struck the Pikachu in the face with an Iron Tail before letting out another blast of water at the Pikachu, pushing it back several yards. However, this water blast seemed different then a normal Water Gun, since the blast was formed like rings. Another first: Bastion had just used Water Pulse.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ian shouted, but the mouse didn't respond. It seemed to have been made dizzy from the water attack, and its cheeks no longer sparked. Its electricity must have been doused.

"Now's your chance! Aqua Jet!" Bastion pulled into his shell and shot across the field by water propulsion, hitting his target in the stomach, knocking out the mouse's wind, and its consciousness. The miniature rain clouds began to disappear.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Squirtle is the winner!"

Ian still was wearing a look of disbelief, unable to believe that his pokemon had lost to a water type. Bastion looked quite proud of himself, though his skin was covered in electricity burns. It didn't look like he'd be able to do much more, but he probably wouldn't get enough rest to recover if he was switched in, so Cody decided to leave him in battle.

"Keep it up Bastion! You're doing great!" Cody encouraged.

"Not for long," Ian responded, now that he had regained his cool. He took another ball off his belt and sent out his third pokemon. It was a strange looking pokemon that Cody could only describe as being "geometrical:" a Porygon. But as he looked at the weird blue and pinked colored monster that levitated a few inches above the battle plot, he began to ask himself why Ian even used a Porygon on a gym team. Weren't Porygon normal type pokemon? Maybe it was allowed because it was an artificial pokemon made for computer work? He didn't know for sure.

"PORYGON SOLDIER SIMULATOR PROGRAM READY FOR DEPLOYMENT!" blared a loud, robotic sounding voice that emitted from the virtual pokemon's head. "TARGET POKEMON RECOGNIZED AS A SQUIRTLE. PROJECTILE ASSAULT SYSTEMS ARE ACTIVATED!"

"Don't let it intimidate you! Tackle him!" Cody commanded.

"Agility!" Ian shouted.

"AGILITY PROGRAM ENGAGED!" Suddenly, the Porygon zoomed away before the Squirtle even got close. Like a hovercraft, it was floating above the ground as it made a wide circle around the turtle before shooting a Psybeam. Bastion just barely dodged this, and shot a Water Gun at the Porygon, which hit its tail, barely having any real effect on the opponent's performance.

"Discharge!" The Porygon shot a flare of electricity from its entire body at the Squirtle. Bastion quickly withdrew into his shell and endured the hit, though it wasn't likely that he'd be able to take any more shots after that.

"Aqua Jet!" Bastion launched his shell at the Porygon, but the virtual pokemon effortlessly moved out of the way before turning towards its target once again.

"Conversion!" Ian shouted.

_What the-_

"CONVERSION PROGRAM ENGAGED! SET TO ELECTRIC TYPE!" With that, the pokemon's body glowed as the pink in its body changed to yellow.

"Now Discharge again!" The now yellow and blue pokemon sent out another electric blast, this one being much bigger than the Discharge before it due to its elemental change. Bastion evaded this, but his movements were slowing.

"Iron Tail!" Cody ordered in a last ditch effort to cripple the foe. Using all of his strength, the Squirtle propelled its body into the air and tried to strike the program pokemon with an Iron Tail, but the Porygon let out another Discharge, hitting Bastion directly and knocking him out cold.

"Squirtle is unable to battle! Porygon is the winner!"

"Good work Bastion!" Cody called out as he returned his pokemon. Now he only had Mars and Elesa left, but who to use? Both would be a good choice for Porygon under the electric element, but again, he figured that Mars would be better suited for what Ian's final pokemon was. Elesa it was then.

"Time to strike, Elesa!" The Blitzle appeared, letting out a happy whinny before observing her foe. She cocked her head in confusion, since the Porygon was unlike anything she had ever seen. But she decided to attack anyway. The Porygon shot a Psybeam, but Elesa leapt over the beam and crashed her body into the virtual pokemon's frame. After leveling itself from the collision, the Porygon zoomed away and shot another Psybeam from a distance, but Elesa began her pursuit once more.

"You can't outrun that Blitzle! Get in the air with a Magnet Rise!"  
"AGILITY PROGRAM DISENGAGED! MAGNET RISE PROGRAM ENGAGED!" The Porygon rose into the air at a rapid speed.

"Jump a Spark on it!" Elesa made another jump to hit the Porygon, but only the tip of her mane hit the virtual pokemon's foot. However, this tiny shock was enough for Ian to work with.

"Conversion 2!"

"CONVERSION PROGRAM DISENGAGED! CONVERSION PROGRAM 2.0 ENGAGED! SET TO GRASS TYPE!" The yellow color that covered most of the Porygon's head and body turned to a dark green. Both Elesa and Cody now realized that the Porygon was taking on a new strategy of sniping from above, but why did it switch to grass type? Wasn't being an electric type enough to be resistant to Elesa's attacks?

"Solarbeam!" Ian shouted.

_Oh shit, there it is. _The Porygon began to charge an attack as it took in light from the light bulbs above. Cody panicked. Even though Elesa could attack Porygon, who was now a sitting duck, she probably would have ended up being hit. Even if she could survive a hit of a Solar Beam, she would probably be extremely damaged by it, so changing up the game plan and having her avoid the attack seemed like a better idea. Unfortunately, he was out of switches, but he had a plan nevertheless.

"Elesa, get close to the Porygon, but don't attack. Hold until I say so!" He crossed his fingers and hoped that she would even understand to hold her attacks, since it wasn't a command he enforced a whole lot. She did listen to him, but she seemed extremely antsy about standing in place while the Porygon charged up its Solar Beam.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'm not going to fall for any mind games. Keep charging, Porygon!"

Elesa turned her head back to her trainer and gave a nervous neigh, as if to say "Now?"  
"Not yet. Hold your place!" He waited as the beam continued to charge. He also noticed that the people in the audience were now looking concerned. All except Frank, who looked intrigued at what Cody was planning. _Almost… almost… almost… NOW! _"Volt Switch!"

"The moment she heard the name of the attack, she thrust herself into the air and her body hit the Porygon in an electrical smash before her body turned into a flash of light and returning to her pokeball. Just then the Porygon released its Solarbeam, but there was no target. It had just wasted all that time and took damage from the Volt Switch for nothing.

"What the fu- IS THAT EVEN-" Ian began to shout, but he bit his tongue halfway through since he knew that what Cody did was in fact legal.

"Okay, don't get hit Mars!" The Mole made his second appearance in the battle and looked on intensely at his airborne foe. Luckily for him, the Porygon didn't seem like it was able to run the Magnet Rise and Agility programs simultaneously, so even though it was floating like the Tynamo that was earlier in the battle, it wouldn't be moving nearly as fast. But if it were to switch to the agility program, it would be in range for Mars, who would be able to keep up with a fast opponent. "Mud Bomb!"

The Diglett shot a Mud Ball at the program pokemon, but it disintegrated the flying mud with a Psybeam. It shot a second beam at the mole, who dodged it and got underground where he thought he would be safe… but Ian had other plans.

"Lock On and charge another Solar Beam!"

"LOCK ON PROGRAM ENGAGED! ENEMY POKEMON HAS BEEN TARGETED! CURRENT POSITION: TEN METERS FORWARD AND THREE METERS UNDER GROUND LEVEL WITH CONTINUAL MOVEMENT! PREPARING TO FIRE!"

_Fuck, what now? That Solar Beam can probably penetrate through the ground to where Mars is, and one hit would probably take him out. Crap, time to take another dumb ass risk. Better breaking even if I can. _"Mars, Astonish!" For a few seconds, Mars didn't react, but that was the point. If he popped up the moment the attack was ordered, there would be nothing astonishing about it. But in a puff of dirt and dust, Mars shot out of the ground like a bullet and smacked into the Porygon's face as it continued to charge the Solar Beam.

"ERROR! ERROR! MAGNET RISE FAILING! EXTERIOR PREPARING FOR CRASH LANDING!" The Porygon hit the ground with a loud thud, still charging its Solar Beam, and Mars landed several feet away on his feet.

"Bulldoze!" Re-entering the ground, Mars made a rolling earth charge at the fallen virtual pokemon, but as he was hitting it, the Porygon shot out its charged Solar Beam. A flash of green light flashed for a millisecond before both trainers could see that their pokemon had both fainted from the traded attacks.

"Both Porygon and Diglett are unable to battle! This match-up has resulted in a draw!" the referee declared.

"You did good Mars. Return," Cody said as he called his third pokemon back. The confidence had vanished from his mood now that he only had one pokemon left to face off against Ian's best at the second tier level. Elesa was good, no doubt, but next to Antonia, she was his least experienced battler. Was it even possible that she would be able to defeat Ian's final pokemon? "Go Elesa!"

"End this, Manectric!" Ian's final pokemon burst onto the field and Cody felt his blood run cold. The electric dog stood at nearly five feet tall from his feet to the tip of his mane. He glared at Elesa with his crimson eyes, and let out a loud howl. Elesa wasn't fazed though, as she answered this howl with a whinny, though it didn't sound nearly as intimidating.

"Quick Attack!" both trainers yelled at the same time. The tiny horse and the large dog charged each other at roughly the same speed, but it was the Manectric's weight that helped the hound win the exchange. Elesa was knocked quite a distance backwards, but she hopped back to her feet and started running towards the hound again. But Cody knew that there was no way that she would be able to attack the Manectric efficiently this way.

"Flash and strike!" Cody commanded. As both opponents closed in on each other, she used Flash. The Manetric was blinded for a second, but when it regained its vision, Elesa was coming from the side instead of the front. She rammed her head into the dog's side, making a sickening crunch sound. The hound quickly shook off the strike though and began to chase the tiny horse, who he was able to outrun. But before it could hit her, Cody called for her to use Flash again. Once the spots were out of the Manetric's eyes, it saw Elesa running straight towards him. Instead of ramming into him though, she leapt over his main and delivered her two back hooves to the back of the dog's head. Any normal pokemon would have gotten a concussion from this, but the hound stood strong.

"Odor Sleuth!" Ian shouted. The Manectric ran close enough to Elesa that it could get a whiff of her scent. Upon its closing in, Elesa used Flash again, but this time, the dog could smell where the filly was, and he struck her with a Headbutt before she could land another Quick Attack on him. Elesa fell into a heap, and before she could get up, the Manaectric shot her with a Shock Wave.

_What? This guy is an expert on electric pokemon. Shouldn't he know that electricity literally improves Elesa's performance? Whatever, the more, the merrier. _"Quick Attack!" At a faster pace, the force slapped her body into the hound's side, and at the same time, it hit her with a Spark attack. Though the physical aspect of his attack hurt the filly, she was still getting more electricity into her system, effectively making her even faster.

"Stomp!"

"Shock Wave!"

"Quick Attack!"

"Thunder Wave!"

As the battle raged on, Ian kept ordering for his Manectric to pump electricity into the Blitzle's body, and Elesa kept getting faster and faster. The faster she was, the more damage she managed to land on the opponent, even though the hound seemed to have energy to spare. But why was Ian doing this to himself?

"Spark!" both trainers ordered. Once again, both pokemon ran their electrified frames into each other, but after this collision, Elesa let out a shriek of pure pain.

"What's wrong girl?" Cody asked, but the tiny horse kept whimpering. She fell to her knees and started using Flash over and over again for no real reason. _It's as if she's trying to get rid of excess electricity… oh shit, wait… _He understood what was happening now. The Manectric had done to Elesa what she had done to the Elekid they battled the week before. By using continuous electric attacks on the Blitzle, it had essentially overloaded her system, and now she was overheating.

"Thunder Fang!" Ian commanded. The Manectric ran up to the fallen horse and sunk its fangs into her side, plugging even more electricity into her body.

"Elesa!" Cody shouted in terror over his horse's screams of pain, "Use Flash! Just keep using Flash! Try to drain that electricity out of your body!" But this was a desperate move. Cody knew for a fact that all the flashing in the world couldn't release more electricity than the Manectric was putting in. Nevertheless, Elesa's body began a continuous Flash, though this did not deter the hound's actions at all. Cody blocked his eyes with his hands so he wouldn't go blind, but managed to peek out at the bright light that emanated from the center of the battle plot. _Well, we tried our best. Maybe next week…_ But suddenly, the body of Manectric flew from the ball of light, and he landed on the other side of the plot. _What the…_

"NEEEAAAAIIIGHH!" The light faded a few seconds, Cody saw Elesa standing up again. However, she was no longer a Blitzle. Instead, a much taller horse stood in her place. Its mane and white stripes were much more dramatic looking, and her sapphire eyes blazed with intensity.

"A Zebstrika…" somebody in the audience muttered in awe.

Ian looked just as shocked as Cody, but he tried to get back to the battling. "Manectric, no more electric attacks! Take Down!" The dog fearlessly ran at the larger opponent, but something strange happened with Elesa. She began to charge her opponent too, but as she ran, a light cloak of fire engulfed her body. She smashed into the hound in a flaming blitz, and ran in a circular path to hit it again at a faster speed. Cody remembered reading about this attack in his guide book. Apparently, this "Flame Charge" attack was typically use by fire pokemon, but Zebstrika was one of the few electric pokemon that could convert its electric energy into fire to use the technique as well. And the longer Elesa kept using this attack, the faster she would become. Again and again, she trampled the Manectric with her Flame Charge, and the damage from earlier in the battle and the current attacks it was absorbing now were beginning to pile up.

"That pokemon is physically dominating you!" Ian shouted. "Blast her off her feet with a Shock Wave to the knees!" The Manectric shout a wave of electricity at Elesa's knees, which ended her fiery run. However, this pissed her off more than it actually hurt her. She snorted at the dog as if to challenge him, and the Manetric accepted. It ran up and bit her on the neck with a Fire Fang, but she let out another screech and concentrated all of her electricity to the skin where the hound was chomping down on. The dog yelped and fell on the ground.

"Before it gets up, Thunder Stomp!" Cody shouted out. The attack was obviously an improvised idea that he randomly thought up, but Elesa seemed to understand him completely. Like she did with the Elekid, she pinned the Manectric down with her hooves, and forced every bit of electricity into its body. The blue and yellow dog howled in agony as his body was being pumped with electricity, but his pained yell ended as his eyes rolled up in their sockets.

"Manectric is unable to battle! Zebstrika is the winner! Therefore, victory goes to challenger Cody Storm!"

"YES!" Cody shouted as he fell to his knees and threw his hands up in the air. He was acting a little bit overdramatic, but he didn't care. When it looked as though all hope was lost, his pokemon and him had found a way to win the day. Gleefully, he ran up to Elesa, whose demeanor had switched from rage back to playfulness. She nuzzled her head against his chest, and he ran a hand down her neck, only to get it smeared in blood from the bite holes that the Manectric had left on her. "You did great, girl! Hold on, let me help you." He was about to spray the bite wounds with a super potion when Ian walked up to him. The red headed trainer looked furious, but he was holding back his rage.

"Good job Eddy-"

"Thanks, but it's Co-"

"Yeah, whatever. Here's your badge, here's your TM. Thank you for putting up a great fight, yada yada yada, have a nice trip."

"Um… you're welcome?" Cody said in a confused tone, but Ian just gave him a dirty look.

"Ian, how dare you!" Viktor roared as the old Russian entered the battle plot and stormed up to his protégé. "I am ashamed of your behavior! You have never acted this way in defeat, and now you give this child no respect for defeating you in battle!"

"He got lucky! If his Blitzle didn't evolve in the heat of the moment-"

"Luck has nothing to do with it, and even if it did, the error is not his, but yours!" Viktor shouted. "As an electric specialist, you should have known that mature Blitzle evolve into Zebstrika when their bodies are exposed to enough foreign electricity! Young Comrade Storm took advantage of your error and defeated you. Now, for the sake of your honor and dignity as a trainer, apologize to him!"

"But-"

"Now, or I will suspend you from this gym!"

Ian looked over at Cody, who just looked freaked out by the whole situation, and grimaced. "I'm sorry I was rude to you," he muttered. "Good luck on your journey, fellow trainer." With that, he left the arena in a huff.

"I'm sorry for my apprentice's words. He can get very serious about battling. But you have done well. Maybe someday when you are stronger, you and I shall do battle," Viktor stated.

"Thank you sir, it would be an honor," Cody replied. The two trainers shook hands, and Viktor went back to his gym quarters.

"Wow, you were great!" Heather cheered as she joined Cody and Elesa on the battle plot. "I hope I can win like you did next week."

"You did get lucky, but it was still a great fight," Jared admitted.

"Yeah, but when luck is a factor, I make it mine," Cody said.

"But I thought you said you didn't need luck," Jared reminded him.

"Well, I don't need it, but I'll use it when it's available," Cody chuckled as he sprayed Elesa's wounds. While doing so, he looked back up at Frank, who was still in the audience, watching them. He looked impressed, but it only made Cody more nervous. _Why are you here? What the hell do you want with me?_

* * *

"Two badges," Cody said to his Skarmory chick as he stroked her back, which was growing a slightly thicker layer of metal now. "Ten more to go, but two badges. So many trainers don't make it this far, but already…" With his other hand, he was holding his badge case, looking at the Tornado and Lightning Bolt shaped badges he had won, smiling in the darkness of the room.

The Pokemon Center sleeping rooms were surprisingly empty, so the trio of trainers weren't forced into getting a motel room. Right now, it was just Cody laying on the top of one of the bunks, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, while Antonia rested her head on his abdominal region. His other pokemon were being treated, and the night wasn't a freeze out night, so he was taking it easy by going to bed early.

It felt so weird now to think that Elesa was now a Zebstrika, since Cody always thought of her as being a cute little Blitzle. What was even more odd to him was that she was the first of his pokemon to evolve, though she was the last one he caught. Obviously, he would need to find two more Diglett for Mars to evolve, but why hadn't Bastion and Colossal changed form yet?

But for the time being, he no longer cared about trivial details, or Frank, or the nightmares he was having, or the conflict with his parents. Just victory. "I really feel like I have a shot at making it in this game," he whispered to Antonia. "We will be champions someday. All of us." Maybe he was being a little bit big headed for winning his second badge by the skin of his teeth, but he didn't care. "Watch out world. The Storm is coming."

**To be continued…**


	18. Chapter 18: Fast Forward Part 2

_I love how you flesh out details in the game... but needing two more diglet? cant Mars just sprout a couple benign tumors?_

_And you're a jerk for not having Bastion evolve first. *mad at you*_

**Did… did you just wish cancer upon Mars? Um, I'm just going with how the games say it's done. Really though, one mole evolving into three moles just seems kind of… lol wut? It wouldn't work the same as a standard evolution. And****you're just realizing now that I'm a jerk? I thought that was apparent. But just in case you all didn't know… The Altrox is a jerk! **

_I've been wondering, where is Skitrex in relation to the other regions? Because my OC region, Alva (where the leading death of ten year olds is getting their first pokemon), is just south of Hoenn._

**Um… I'm leaving that ambiguous for a reason. You could say Skitrex is close to America since the culture is pretty similar, but if I try to go into detail, I'd just look silly imo. **

**As a country/region, Skitrex is mountainous and pretty north above the equator, hence why the winters can get bad.**

**Thanks to Magikarp Master for editing.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Fast Forward (Part 2)**

_ He was back in the nightmare, and like always, he could see nothing around him except darkness and mist._

_ "Again?" Cody sighed. "I was having such a good day too…"_

_ "So I've noticed!" the voice echoed in the dream zone. The colorless eyes opened in front of his face and stared at him intently. "Congratulations by the way. Not every trainer gets this far. Two badges… you're less petty than I thought."  
_

_"What the hell do you care?" Cody asked angrily. "All you do is randomly pop in and freak me out. What do you care how well I do as a trainer?"_

_ "I happen to care a lot!" the voice replied, surprised. "You're becoming stronger by the day, and as you become stronger, your body will become ready to-"  
_

_"Wait what? My body will what? What the hell are you talking about?"  
_

_"Oh dear, I'm afraid I have said too much. Forgive me, but you are not ready to know that yet. No matter. You are in no position to demand answers from me in my realm."  
_

_"Well, the less you answer, the more pointless this… this thing is," Cody said, referencing the entire realm with a wave of his arms. "So can I wake up now?"_

_ "Not yet, we still have some things to discuss," the voice said. "So sit down and listen like a good little child, and everything will go easy peasy." Defiantly, Cody continued to stare into the eyes as if he hadn't heard that last command. "I said sit!" A black arm swept the floor and knocked the teen over onto his back. _

_ "Holy!" Cody shouted as his head bounced against the "floor" of the dream realm. He let out a second yelp of pain as he saw the room spin. After a minute of staring up at the ceiling, or sky, or whatever it was above him, he forced himself to sit back up and face the eyes._

_ "There, now was that so hard?" Suddenly, the voice began to laugh, as if entertained by Cody's pain. "Now that I have your full attention, let me explain something to you. These 'pointless' visions do have a purpose. Actually, they serve two purposes to be exact. The first is to keep you in your place. When we reach the second stage of your development, you will fully accept me as your mas-"  
_

_"Second stage! What second stage!"_

_ "Shut up!" the voice blared as it backhanded Cody with one of its dark appendages. "This is what I'm talking about! When I speak, you listen! Soon enough, you will accept me as your master! It may take me awhile since you have a strong heart, and you do not seem like one who will easily submit, but I have perfected the art bending others to my will, so this will not be a problem in the long run. Do you understand what I am saying to you, Cody Storm? Or do I need to repeat myself and use smaller words?"_

_ "No… I understand…" Cody replied grudgingly. "Though I don't understand why you need to be my master. If you can only come to me in dreams, why does that even matter?"_

_ "Ha ha… you are so naïve. In time, you will understand," the voice cackled. "Now, there is also a second reason why I bring you here in your dreams. Can you possibly figure out why that is?"_

_ "Uh… because you like scaring me shitless?" _

_ Again, the voice began to howl with laughter. It must have been in a good mood that night. "I wouldn't expect you to know," the voice said, still chuckling, "the reason goes beyond your knowledge of my intentions. You see…" A dark hand formed in front of Cody's face and rested on his shoulder. Shivers ran down the teen's back, but he was too afraid to even move the hand off. "In order to reap the benefits of… you, I must keep returning to you when you sleep. Through these visits, I'll be getting more experience with your mind, and getting more used to your body."  
_

_"My… my body?"  
_

_"Yes… your body. It is imperative that I get a feel for your physical body, which is what I do night by night when I visit you." After finishing this statement, the dark hand moved from his right shoulder to his pectoral, and it slowly began its decent down his chest. But once it reached Cody's navel, the young trainer had had enough. He swatted the arm away._

_ "What the fuck are you doing, you pervert!" he screamed. The voice began to laugh again at Cody's distress._

_ "Did you really think I was going to sexually assault you? Really? I am a being beyond love and lust. Sexual desires mean nothing to me, so raping you wouldn't be entertaining. There are much more fun ways to torture you." The hand disappeared into the darkness. "Now as you can see, you've put me into an incredibly good humor tonight. Winning that badge is just more proof that I've picked a winner. Because of this, I will answer two questions for you, since I didn't really answer the one you asked me two months ago. Anything you want to ask?" Cody opened his mouth, but closed it again. The urgency inside of him made him decide that he needed to make these questions count. "No? I'll give you a minute then."_

_ "I don't need a minute. I have a question for you right now," he stated. "Are you… are you Madame Stella?"_

_ For a moment, the voice said nothing. Was it trying to think of a good answer? Or was it dumbfounded by the randomness of the question?_

_ "Is this a joke! I give you a very generous gift to apologize for not keeping my word, and you ask that! Why would you even ask such a stupid question! It's an insulting use of the gift I have given to you!" Again, Cody was backhanded by one of the being's hands. He felt his nose break this time._

_ "I don't know… you said that you found me through her, so maybe she's got some evil gypsy powers, or she's using a ghost pokemon to-"  
_

_"Wrong!" the voice shouted. "I told you to tell her to stay away from you! Doesn't that seem counterproductive if I were to be cast onto you by her? Forget it! You are a stupid boy for even asking such a ridiculous question. In fact… I'm insulted by it."_

_ Just then, another hand smashed the back of Cody's skull into the floor, pinning it there while two other hands pinned his hands against the ground. Then, Cody felt a drilling sensation on his hands. He saw what looked to be two screws being drilled into the palms of his hands, fastening them to the ground. Throughout this, Cody let out a scream of pain as he was being crucified on the ground. After a few minutes, the pain began to numb, but it still burned through his arms as he whimpered from the aftershock._

_ "Pathetic," the voice groaned. "You may ask me your final question, but please, do try not waste this one."_

_ "O-okay," Cody wheezed as he felt his breathing becoming difficult. "W-what are your intentions f-for me in all of this?"  
_

_"Ah, there we are, a real question. Good for you." The voice sounded like he was smiling. "You, young Storm, are my key to victory as I make the physical dimension my own."_

_ Another long pause. The voice had answered the question swiftly, but it wasn't sinking in._

_ "Y-you w-want to take over the w-world?" Cody asked as his breathing became even more difficult to continue._

_ "Of course!" the voice roared, "power is the only thing worth having, and I have been stripped of my power for far too long!"_

_ "But… take over the world?" Cody repeated dumbly._

_ "Cliché, I know, but it's what I want. Someday, you will understand, but for now-"  
_

_"I want more answers! Why am I needed for this!" Cody shouted._

_ "You are out of questions, chil-"_

_ "I don't care! Answer me! Also, if you're in my head, how can you-"  
_

_"SILENCE! Learn your place, you wretch!" At this outburst, a dozen screws appeared out of nowhere and began to drill into various places on Cody's body. He let out another long scream. "You have run out of questions! Return to your realm and reflect! Remember that I am your master for now and forev-"_

Cody sat up in the bunk he was sleeping in, his body covered in sweat. As he calmed his breathing, he felt Antonia nuzzling his ribs. The bird looked up into his eyes with concern, since she could easily tell that her trainer was disturbed by something. He pet the baby Skarmory's head and listened closely to the breathing of the others in the room. Heather, Jared, and the fourth trainer who was in the room were all still asleep.

_What time is it? _He reached for his phone under his pillow and looked at the display, which read 11:15 PM. _I need some air. _He climbed down the side of the bunk bed, followed by Antonia, who fluttered down to his feet behind him. After slipping on a shirt, a pair of socks, his shoes, and grabbing Antonia's pokeball, Cody and his bird left the room and went to the front lobby of the pokemon center.

Even though it was late at night, there were still some trainers in the lobby that were waiting for their pokemon to be healed, chatting with each other, and getting some late night grub from the food court. Still, it seemed populated enough that he wouldn't run into Madame Stella, since she only appeared to him when he was alone ever since that day they had met in Kindle City. Letting out a sigh of relief, he sat down on the sofa and pondered.

"Ruling the world…" Cody muttered to himself. "Why does that thing need me for that?" He turned to face Antonia, who was sitting next to him, looking at him with interest. "Do I even look like the kind of guy that could rule the world?" he asked the chick. Antonia cocked her head, trying to understand. "It's okay, I know you don't get what I'm saying." He leaned back on the furniture and closed his eyes, trying to forget everything. The Skarmory chick extended her head and rested it against his neck, making soft cawing noises. It was almost magical how close the two had become in the past months, even after their bitter skirmishes. Feeling a little bit of relief, Cody embraced the chick, feeling the light layer of warm metal that covered her body. After a minute, he opened his eyes and nearly shit a brick at what he saw.

"Jesus!" he shouted as he saw Stella sitting on the couch in front of him. "Don't do that! Why do you have to do that all the damn time! Can't you just walk over like a normal person!"

"You have had another nightmare of the Dark One," she said in a crackly voice, ignoring his questions, as usual. "What did he tell you this time?"

"He told me that- Wait, hold on!" Cody started in a loud voice, though not loud enough to draw attention to himself, "you always just show up and start mumbling a bunch of random crap. How about this time while you're here, you tell me how you're doing all of this!"

At first, the old hag said nothing, but just stared at him with her one eye. While waiting for a response, Cody noticed that Antonia's body was quaking. Something was wrong here. Antonia never showed any sort of fear openly, but the very sight of Madame Stella seemed to be making her quite frightened. He stroked her neck in order to comfort her, but this didn't seem to calm the bird at all.

"I have told you before," the old woman continued, "I can sense every time you have a nightmar-"

"That's not what I'm asking!" Cody interrupted. "How do you keep finding me so quickly? Have you been stalking me on the road? Do you have pokemon that teleport you here? How do you-"

"Is that really what you want?" the fortune teller asked. "Out of everything that is going on here, that's what you want to know?"

"Okay, fine then," Cody groaned. "Since you obviously have a better idea of what we should be talking about, go ahead. I'm waiting for answers. I've been waiting for them ever since you decided to read my fortune and cast all this shit onto my life."

Again, the old woman said nothing at first, but she simply sneered at Cody. _Oh great, did I say something wrong? Wait, what the hell could I have possibly said that's wrong? This witch has been stalking me for months now, and ever since I met her, I've been harassed by Freddy Krueger or whatever the hell that thing is. I'm in the right here. Not her. _He continued to wait for an answer, still petting Antonia in an attempt to calm her down.

"You're a fool…" she answered gravely. "Do you think I would wish this fate on anybody?"

"So this is an accident?" Cody questioned sarcastically.

"This was no accident," she continued in her decrepit voice. "The Dark One works in mysterious ways beyond our understanding."

"Oh really?" Once again, Cody was getting frustrated with the hag. The answer she had given was one that bible thumpers liked to give when they had no good explanation for works of evil or misery, and thus, it wasn't satisfying for him. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Do you honestly think that our meeting was by chance?" she asked loudly, drawing the attention of some trainers on another sofa nearby. "The Dark One has used me against my will as his eyes for years. Once I found you, so did he." She stood up and walked up to him. At her approach, Antonia suppressed her fear and leapt in front of her trainer, letting out a loud screech to scare this threatening woman off. But Stella just glared at the bird. The two stared at each other for almost a minute, but as the seconds passed, the Skarmory's fear began to resurface. As the shivers overtook her again, she sat down in place and began to cower once more.

"Our destinies are now intertwined, young Storm. And because of that, your destiny is intertwined with the Dark One's destiny as well." With each word that came out of her mouth, Cody could smell and even taste the old woman's rancid breath. Now even he began to shudder at Stella's presence. All he could think about was getting away from this woman before she dragged him to a séance or something.

"Get away from me…" he whispered to her, forcing all the intensity to his face that he could muster.

"You can't outrun your fate," she replied.

"I said get away from me!" he shouted. He didn't care who was looking at him now. He leapt over the back of the couch and returned the frightened Antonia to her pokeball.

"You can't outrun-"

"But I can outrun you!" he roared. "Stay away from me! If you ever come near me again, so help me God, I will… I will…" He couldn't find an appropriate threat amongst the paranoia that wracked his brain, so he immediately turned towards the door and bolted out as fast as his feet could carry him.

The sidewalks in Kito Grove weren't busy at night, especially during the winter, but Cody continually had to dodge pedestrians as he continued his escape. After crossing six blocks in various directions, he finally stopped to catch his breath and sooth his nerves. Instantly, he began to regret running outside since he wasn't wearing a coat. _Great, I should have just ran to my room and locked the door. _After turning around, he realized that he couldn't remember the streets he took to get to the one he was on. Kito Grove wasn't a huge town, but it was still large enough to get lost in at night. _Dammit, could this night get any worse? _Fate answered that question the moment he turned around and bumped into a person who had walked up behind him. "Oh sorry ma-" His sentence stopped short when he almost had a heart attack after he saw that he had run into Frank.

"Cody Storm! Just the man I wanted to see!" he said jovially, pulling Cody into a one armed hug. Cody was still too stunned to react. "Hey, what's wrong bro? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Um… y-you have no idea," Cody stammered. Truth was, he had already seen two ghosts in the past ten minutes, and the third had just hugged him. "Err… Isaac, right?" he asked the Mr. Mime that stood behind Frank. The psychic pokemon still sported a mohawk like his trainer.

_[Correct,] _the mime answered simply. Cody looked back at Frank, who was still smiling as if nothing happened. Suddenly, the older boy's smile faded.

"Why the hell are you outside without a coat? You realize it's ten degrees Fahrenheit out here, right? Have a death wish, kiddo?"

"Uh…"

"What's up with you dude? Meowth got your tongue? Or you just dying of hypothermia? Come on, I know a coffee shop nearby that's still open. We can talk there." He forcefully grabbed Cody by his arm and dragged him down the street to a corner coffee shop, Isaac following close behind. Like Frank had promised, the shop was still open, and several locals were still drinking.

"Frank, I don't have any money on-"

"It's cool, my treat. What do you want?"

"I'm not much of a coffee drinker but… just get me something that's not decaffeinated." After all the "fun" night he was having that night, he didn't plan on going to sleep again for awhile.

"Cool, I'll get the jo. You and Isaac go find seats." The moment Frank left for the counter, Cody turned around and tried to leave through the door, but it wouldn't open. It was as though it was being held shut by an outside force.

_Damn, Isaac… _"You're not gonna let me go, are you?"

_[Not a chance.] _The Mr. Mime suddenly didn't look as friendly as he normally did. _[Go find a table.]_

_There's no escape. He's obviously going to talk to me about the night me and Heather ran off. _Immediately, Cody began to wrack his brain for ways to escape this predicament. He still had Antonia, but starting a fight in a public place that was not a battle approved area was a quick ticket to getting arrested. That, and Frank had at least two pokemon, both of which were more experienced than his Skarmory chick. He could make a scene over Frank, attracting attention, and possibly being able to get away, but nobody would have any reason to believe that Frank was a member of a mysterious organization. That, and trying to get away might piss Frank off. Maybe he'd be better off talking to the guy while he was in a good mood.

Shrugging his shoulders, he walked over to a booth near the fire exit, and sat down. Even though Isaac would probably block that door too, it gave him a sense of security that was comforting, even though it was probably false. Isaac sat on the other side, not losing his eye contact. Seconds later, Frank rejoined them with three drinks for the three of them.

"You'll like this, trust me. You might want to add some cream to it though. It's kinda strong if you drink it black."

"Thanks Frank," he replied softly before pouring a bit of cream into the coffee. It still tasted strong, but he kept drinking it anyway.

"I'm glad I found you before you froze to death out there," Frank laughed. "I believe this is the second time I've saved your skin, huh? Looks like you owe me two, eh?"

"Yeah… sure."

"Good to know. So what you've been up to lately?"

"Um…" _Shit, you've been stalking me! You've know what I've been up to. What are you playing at? _"I won my second gym badge today."

"Oh, that's right! I was there!" Frank said with a snap of his fingers. "Good match by the way. You really took that guy to school. Did you see me in the audience? I was on your left."

"Sure, I saw you," Cody said without thinking, though he bit his tongue immediately afterward.

"Then why didn't you say hi to me, bro? We could have caught up. You, me, and Heather, just like old times. What gives?"

_Crap, he just pinned me. _Either way Cody had had enough of this goody-two-shoes act from this guy. "Okay, what do want from me!" he asked in a harsh voice. "I know why you're doing this! You've been stalking Heather and I all week from the moment we got here. And I know why: you're mad about use leaving that helmet out where everybody in that camp could see. So what are you going to do? Kill me? Because I didn't say anything to the authorities. I mean, I don't even know your last name, and nobody would believe me if I told them that the Cipher were in Skitrex. I'm not a danger to you or whatever you're doing. I'm trying to avoid trouble right now, 'cause Arceus knows, I have enough of that already. So what do you want from me!"

Nobody in the coffee shop seemed to notice Cody's outburst, but Frank wore a shocked expression on his face. Was he trying to play dumb? Seconds later, he smiled again and shook his head. "Now that you pointed out the Donphan in the room, it looks like I've got some explaining to do."

"Say what?" Once again he was confused.

"Now, I get what you're driving at. You're scared out of your mind right now, and you have every right to be. I didn't tell you the whole truth, so you don't trust me. Fair enough. But I can assure you that I didn't tell you any lies either."

"Oh really?" Cody replied in doubt.

_[He's right,] _Isaac agreed, _[he has yet to say anything false to you.]_

"Oh yeah, because your pokemon can vouch for you, that means I should believe you, right? I don't think so. How the hell did you even find me? And why aren't you mad at me for trying to-"

"Okay, okay, let me explain everything," Frank chuckled before taking another sip of his coffee. His attitude of calmness seemed so unnatural at this point. "I don't know why you and Heather were digging through my stuff, but I'll admit, I was pissed off about it. I had to do some fast talking the next morning in order to keep that group of trainers from going hostile. But I managed. I'm a pretty charismatic guy. That's why they made me a recruiter, I guess."

"Wait who's 'they?'" Cody asked curiously.

"The organization I'm a part of," Frank answered casually.

"You mean the Cipher?"

"Wrong. We don't have an official name per say, but we aren't the Cipher."

Cody gave another gaping look. "So you have a Cipher helmet, but you're not the Cipher? Yeah right."

"No, you actually just got it," Frank replied. "Those recycled uniforms are perfect. They keep a decent body temperature in all weather conditions, they're comfortable, they disguise us-"

"There we go! Disguise! Why would you need a disguise if you weren't crimi-"

"Calm down, I'll get to that later," Frank interrupted. "Now, as I was saying, we are not the Cipher. We're all about peace. Those trainers at that camp, they're all working with us now on their own will, doing all those charitable things that I told you about, and a bit more."

"A bit more?" Cody questioned.

"Originally," Frank began again, ignoring Cody's question, "I wasn't worried about finding you or Heather. In the grand scheme of things, neither of you really posed that much of a threat to us, and you still don't. But about a month ago, a friend of mine linked me to your blog. He didn't know you personally, but he had been following you ever since you started posting battle videos of yourself. I spent a long time watching each and every video, and I was impressed. You really had come a long way in such a short time, just like I predicted." He took a last sip of his coffee and laid his feet on the table as if he owned the whole shop. "Now, I'm pretty low in the organization's hierarchy, but I know the big man himself on a personal level, since he was the one who helped me out of my rut. I showed him your videos and told him what I knew about you. Intrigued, he told me to go down to Kito Grove, since you mentioned in one of your videos that that was where you were headed. My mission: watch your gym fight to get a close up and personal view of your progress.

"Of course, I was impressed. How you handled the fight against Ian was nothing short of spectacular. Not only were you smart, but your pokemon were crafty. I've never seen anybody who wasn't a league member fight like that. I mean, I was also under orders to watch Heather, since she ran off with you too, but while she was only good, you were great. I made a call after your battle, and the big dog decided that he would like to meet you, because while your threat level is low, he figures that you would be a better ally than not. After all, by just seeing that helmet…" He snickered, "you already know too much."

"But why? How? If you're all about peace, why does it matter what if I've 'seen too much?' It doesn't make any sense."

"Does it now?" Frank asked with a smirk. "You asked why we hide our faces in masks? Sometimes with our more 'delicate' missions, we have no choice, since our actions aren't always looked fondly upon by the public. The last thing we need is a person on the other side who can connect our organization's full intent with our actions and our faces. Again, while you aren't so much of a threat, being only one person, we still can't overlook you. We could kill you, or find a very strong psychic pokemon that could effectively give you a mental lobotomy, but that would be such a waste of a young talent, not to mention against our overall intent. Aligning yourself with us would not be such a waste, don't you think?"

"Well I don't see why that matters," Cody argued back. "You said you do things that the public doesn't approve of anyway, so why not kill me, huh? Either way, what you do essentially that makes you criminals, so-"

"Criminals," Frank laughed, "you have such a negative attitude to that word. You know who else were criminals? Jesus was a criminal. Gandhi was a criminal. It didn't matter what they preached, no matter how good and pure it was, for in the end, they were viewed by many around them as troublemakers. So were they really criminals Cody? Am I a criminal too? I saved you from being mauled by a Houndoom. You could have burned to a crisp and eaten alive if those thugs had let that dog continue. So who are the 'bad guys,' Cody? Me or them?"

Cody couldn't answer. Frank was being very charismatic with everything he said, and it was difficult to argue with him, but he still couldn't bring himself to agree with what the older boy was saying. It was all still foggy.

"You don't need to answer that; I can tell you're still frazzled. But let me tell you what the organization I am a part of is really about. It isn't just about helping the poor and the downtrodden, but creating peace, first in Skitrex, and later beyond the boundaries of this region. Think about it: a world without pain. A world without suffering. A world without poor. A world without senseless agony and bloodshed. A world without war. A world of peace. Don't you think that's worth fighting for, Cody? Don't you think that's worth breaking a few laws? What do you think? Fate is giving you an opportunity to be a part of something greater than yourself. What do you say?"

Even though he had it in his mind to say "no," Cody couldn't bring himself to say it yet. _Why are they so interested in me? Because of my skills as a trainer? There are a lot of skilled trainers out there, so why do they want me specifically? And this world peace thing... I guess that is a good motive, but many organizations probably claim that sort of thing. That doesn't make them good… _"What is it that you want from me?" Cody asked.

"I've already told you, but let me go into detail," Frank began again. "Heather lost her fight against the gym leader in this town. By league rules, she has to wait a minimum of five days before she is allowed to try again, which gives us a few days. During this time, I would like to take you on a little train ride up north to where the organization's superior is currently located. I'll pay for the tickets and everything, so you need not worry if money is an issue. Since you can't tell your friends where you will be going, just lie to them. Say that you're taking a few day trip by yourself so you can go find a pokemon or something. We can even take some time to catch one if you want to be convincing. All we ask is that you come and talk with our leader. He wants to offer you a proposition. And I promise you, no harm will come of you. Whaddaya say?"

Cody stared into Frank's eyes, trying to look for any sign that would give the older trainer away as a liar. But all he saw was sincerity. Still, as thrilling as this adventure would be, it was still too much for him. There was always a large chance that if he went with Frank, something bad would happen to him. "No. I'm sorry Frank, but I want nothing to do with you or this organization. I thank you for buying me coffee, I thank you for saving my ass, but I can't be a part of this. Just please leave me be. Go on and bring world peace or whatever the hell you are trying to do, but leave me out of it. I have my own problems right now and I don't need you and your friends making it worse."

"Aw, Cody…" Frank sighed, shaking his head. "I was afraid you'd say that. You're so stubborn you can't see past the tip of your nose. But by what you know about us already, you are now making yourself our enemy."

"What do you mean by that exactly?" Cody asked.

_[He means that our superior will not be pleased when he learns that you will not even meet with him,] _Isaac answered. _[Too bad. You have no idea what you are dealing with.]_

_ "_What my pokemon means is that our numbers are rising by the hour," Frank explained. "Trust me, you won't want to be on the outside when we begin to gain more influence." He was no longer smiling, but instead, he was wearing a sad frown. It was as if he felt bad for Cody. "If the boss decides that he wants to talk to you, no matter what, he will have his way. There is no escaping-"

"Escaping what, you?" Cody asked, pulling out Antonia's pokeball. "If you so much as try to abduct me, my Zebstrika here will crush you and all your pokemon. I know I can beat you now."

Frank stared at the pokeball for a few seconds before bursting into laughter again.

"What's so funny!"

"You're imitating me! That's classic! I pulled the same bluff with those trainers in the forest who tried to mug you, and you're trying the same thing against me! I love this!" Suddenly, his smile grew more subtle. "But you've failed. I know that you keep your baby Skarmory in that pokeball, since it is a great ball. I've made note that all your other pokemon are in standard grade pokeballs, so you done goofed on your bluff, kid. Nice try."

Cody was baffled. Frank had outsmarted him so easily just by remembering what his pokeballs looked like.

"Could you beat me in a battle? Could you defend yourself if I attacked you in a normal circumstance? Sure, there's no doubt. I'm not that great of a trainer, and the only reason I beat you last time was because you were still a newbie. At your current skill, you and your pokemon could easily defeat mine. But starting a fight _now _of all times? Really? You have a baby Skarmory. I have three fully grown pokemon and a gun. Who wins?"

Cody didn't see a gun on Frank's person, but that claim sounded legit. Slowly, he put Antonia's pokeball back on his belt.

"Good choice," Frank answered seriously. "Lucky for you, I don't have orders to drag you in, and I have no intention of making a scene in public. However, there are stronger trainers in the organization. Some of them are specialized to bring people such as yourself in. You can't outrun us forever Cody. I just hope that you don't do anything that you may come to regret." He and Isaac left the booth and stood by each other next to the table. "It's not too late to come with me Cody. Are you sure about denying the big man's orders?"

"Positive," Cody replied in a shaky voice, "I just want to be left alone."

"Very well," Frank said sadly, "I just hope that you we don't become enemies in the future. You're a good kid. It would be a shame to see something happen to you." He let out one more discontent sigh. "Good luck, bud." A second later, Frank snapped his fingers, and he and Isaac disappeared in a quick burst of light. The Mr. Mime had used teleport.

Placing his elbows on the table, Cody rested his head in his hands and let out a tired, groaning breath. The world around him, the coffee shop, the smells, the music, the people chattering: it all seemed surreal. And among the confusion, the doubt, and the paranoia, fear stood above everything else.

* * *

"You almost ready?" Heather asked as she checked on Cody, who was still packing his things. On her second attempt, she had won the badge from Ian, and the three teens were getting ready to set off again.

"Just about. I'll meet you guys in the lobby in a minute," he replied.

"Okay," Heather said. She turned around to head out of the room, but she stopped herself and turned around to face Cody again. "Do you think we should tell Jared about Frank now?"

Cody had told Heather all about the encounter he had had with Frank, though he didn't tell her why he had been outside in the first place. She was now just as worried as he was, even though Frank did not seem interested in her whatsoever.

"Only if things get ugly," Cody answered. "You know how Jared is. I don't want to get him obsessed over something else if I can help it. What threat do we pose? This organization will probably leave us alone, so it would be wasteful to go crazy over nothing." He didn't quite believe his own words, however.

"Okay, though this might be worth going crazy over… but I won't tell him anything. It's our secret." She wasn't looking him in the eyes, so smoothly he touched her chin and lifted her head so he could look into her brown eyes, which in the moment, seemed to have depth beyond comprehension. Then, without warning, she hugged him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Look, everything will be okay. I promise," he whispered to her. "Nobody is going to take me away and nobody will hurt you or Jared. I swear."

"Okay, I trust you," she replied in a murmur. Cody was surprised at how much Heather trusted him. It was this childlike trust that empowered their friendship. It was also this trust that stirred his feelings for her, the last few ones that he had yet to let go of. But he pushed these feelings aside. He needed to be strong for her, Jared, his pokemon, and most importantly, himself.

"You better go get your pokemon from the nurse," he told his friend.

"Okay," she replied softly. After Heather left, Cody sat down on the lower bunk of his bed. On that fateful night, he had run into the three antagonists of his life: the darkness that haunted his dreams, the old woman that seemed to know about said nightmares, and a teen that belonged to a mysterious organization. A million problems were thrown at his face, and he couldn't find a solution to any of them. Who spoke the truth? Who was telling him lies?

_I can't outrun that dark vision. I can't outrun my fate. I can't outrun the Cipher, or whoever they claim to be… That's what they all tell me, but I'm sure as hell going to try._

* * *

**Hope you got all that. It's weird going from battle only to dialogue only.**

** But hey, if you're still reading… You have the opportunity to submit an OC! Yes, for a limited time, you may submit a character of your own creation to be a minor (and possibly reoccurring) character in my story! **

** I don't normally do this, but I want the fans to have a pinch of involvement, so now's your chance. If you want an OC to be in this story, simply leave a review on my story (as long or short as you please), and then send your OC to me via private messaging so no other reader can see your creation. I will not take OCs left in the reviews, so don't post it there. **

_**Format**_

_**Full Name:**_

_**Hometown (must be in Skitrex. You may use a previously named city, or one of your own creation, so long as it doesn't sound silly [ex: Creepy Town.]:**_

_**Appearance:**_

_**Trainer Class (if you like):**_

_**Clothing:**_

_**Pokemon (list 6 or 7. Think level 30 - 35 but you don't need to tell me levels, since this story is too "abstract" for that. Nothing too progressed though. You should also list nicknames if you have any, individual personalities, and moves [not limited to 4.] Also, make sure you let me know who their first pokemon is and/or who their strongest pokemon is. Also, your trainer has about five to six badges at this point, so…):**_

_**Personality (No Mary Sues):**_

_**Other Facts:**_

**If I pick your character, I'll let you know. If I want to make changes, I'll discuss them with you first so I don't completely mutilate your character. Until next time, happy training!**


	19. Chapter 19: Dark Disciple

h

**Okay, thanks to the people who sent in OCs. I won't be accepting anymore until further notice. The ones you guys sent in were great, so I may just use all three of them in different parts of the story.**

**So yeah, updates will be even less frequent now. School + my other stories = less writing. Recently started a My Immortal sequel for the lulz. If you like crackfics, and you read Tara's original story, I recommend it.**

**Thanks to my bro Magikarp Master for editing.**

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Bella (Oddish)_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Nidorino, Bagon, Mightyena_

* * *

**Chapter 19: Dark Disciple**

"Elesa, Spark!"

"Polly, Flame Charge!"

The large Zebstrika and the smaller Ponyta ran straight for each other, ready to collide, but seconds before the crash, Elesa used Flash and managed to dodge the blinded Ponyta and smash her in her ribs. The smaller horse faltered upon the strike, but she wasn't down yet. Still, it was pretty obvious to Cody who would be winning this match.

Ever since Elesa had evolved, she had gone from being a capable pokemon to Cody's best pokemon. Granted, this was only because she _was _evolved, but for the time being, this was a nice improvement. Since all of Cody's pokemon were skilled battlers, adding size, weight, and speed to one of his pokemon seemed to be a huge improvement. On top of it all, Elesa seemed to take on a new mind. She was smarter and wiser as a Zebstrika, but at the same time, her attitude seemed to take a complete 180 degree turn. Instead of being the peppy little soldier that she was as a Blitzle, she had become a ruthless, cruel competitor, showing her angry side in every fight. Though this wasn't surprising, given that Zebstrika typically were very ill-tempered pokemon, the sudden change in her personality was a little shocking. However, outside of battle, she had kept her lovable disposition. There were some other not so nice changes with the evolution, among them was the change in her diet. Elesa had to eat more everyday, and finding edible plants during the winter wasn't easy; but besides that, the changes were welcome.

"Polly, you can get back in this! Quick Attack!" the Ponyta's trainer urged, but it was the beginning of the end.

"Headbutt!" Cody shouted. The larger striped horse immediately dodged the fiery pony's attack and smacked her head into the opponent's side. Combining the smack with electricity, the attack was strong enough to K.O. the Ponyta.

"Alright, you were great Elesa!" Cody cheered. Letting out a shrill neigh, the zebra ran to his side and nuzzled him happily. As she did so, a small static shock ran through her trainer's body, causing his hair on his head stand up. But it was fine. Their connection was so close… almost electric.

"Well, good job," the defeated opponent sighed. She recalled her pokemon, handed Cody his winnings, and was off on her way.

"And another one bites the dust," he sang to himself under his breath.

"She's been on a roll. I don't think she's lost since she's evolved," Heather commented as she and Jared approached.

"She has gotten a lot better," Jared agreed, "but a strong electric type isn't going to be of much help when we get to Rorrick City. That gym specializes in ground and rock pokemon, and the leader doesn't fool around."

"Did anybody ever tell you that you're a buzz kill?" Cody chuckled.

"Yes, you do every time open your mouth," Jared groaned. "Look, let's get going. I want to cover some ground since we've been battling all day. If we keep a good pace, we can make it to Tarperville by tomorrow."

"Okay, sounds good," Cody agreed. The trio of trainers returned to the path and kept heading west while Elesa walked with them. The winter air was chilling to the bone, but Cody was used to it now after all those nights out he spent with Antonia. He shot a glance over at Heather, who was clinging to Jared for warmth as they walked. For some reason, this sight made him cringe, so he looked away. _I can't keep letting this bother me._

"So Cody, when are you going start riding her?" Heather asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh, what?" Cody asked. "Oh, you mean Elesa? I don't know, maybe when the snow melts. I don't want her to slip under my weight when she's running on the snow. Besides, I don't know how to ride a horse, let alone riding her bareback. Maybe I should go buy a saddle or something?"

"Sure, if you want to carry it around with the rest of your stuff," Jarred answered sarcastically.

"Buzz kill… I'll worry about it later…" The group continued silently for the next few minutes, the monotonous crunches of snow under their feet continuing in a pattern… But something seemed off. It sounded as if there was an extra step in the mix. _I must be crazy. I need to get some anxiety medication or something. _But he was too paranoid to ignore it, so he whirled around and saw… a Venonat.

"Hey guys," Cody said, catching their attention and halting their walking, "look at this."

"What is it now?" Jared sighed, but as Heather and he turned around to see what Cody had brought their attention to, they were also filled with intrigue at the little insect pokemon that stood in the snow. It chirped innocently as it stared at them with its large red eyes.

"That's odd," Heather said, "why would a Venonat be out here in the winter? Wouldn't it be in hibernation or a cocoon or something?"

"I don't know, but I think it's been following us," Cody whispered cautiously.

"Oh come on now, really? It's a Venonat for Christ sake," Jared groaned as the gnat pokemon let out another chirp. "I bet it's never seen humans before, so it decided to follow us out of curiosity."

"Yeah… sure…" Cody responded doubtfully. His Zebstrika left his side and went over to sniff the little, purple bug. Again, it chirped in response.

"What are you so afraid of?" Heather giggled. "Not all pokemon are out to kill us, you know. Maybe it likes us. If it does, one of us ought to catch-" "Dibs," Cody rudely interrupted as he pulled out a pokeball. He wasn't too interested in catching a Venonat, but he would need a sixth team member for the future, so it was better than nothing. But at the sight of the pokeball, the gnat let out a frightened shriek and ran into the snow covered bushes. Cody blinked. "Well, so much for that."

"Well that was a waste of time," Jared muttered. "Let's go."

"Okay, okay," Cody agreed, but as they left that part of the path, Cody shot a glance back at the bushes that Venonat ran through. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was watching him with its large red eyes…

* * *

Midnight had set in. The forest was eerily quiet at this hour besides the fire that burned in the clearing where the teens had set up camp. Cody was warming himself by the fire while Bastion was sleeping inside his shell on his trainer's lap. Heather and Nadine sat across from them, sharing a candy bar. Jared was already asleep in his tent so he could take the next shift. Somewhere out in the tree tops, Antonia was training her body with the frozen breeze. Eventually, he'd check up on her to make sure she was okay, though he didn't have a plan for how he was going to climb a tree in this chilly environment.

"I just realized something," Heather suddenly piped up, "tomorrow is Christmas Eve, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Cody replied blankly. Since he wasn't religious and he wasn't home for the holidays, he didn't particularly care.

"Should we do something tomorrow in town? You know, to celebrate?" she questioned, a glint of holiday cheer in her eyes.

"Um… if you really want to," Cody began, "but truthfully, I really don't care. My parents already sent me money, so I'm golden."

"Aw, you don't want to do a gift exchange or something?" Heather chirped happily.

"I don't need a gift," Cody told her. "Considering the time we spent going to St. Anthony's to get Antonia, you and Jared can just consider that my gift. Still, if you really want to celebrate capitalism at its finest-" "Oh for the love of Arceus, get off your damn soapbox," Heather snapped in a joking voice. Suddenly, a small smile emerged on her lips. "Actually, if you want to consider pokemon trips a gift, there is something I want," she suggested.

"Oh?"

Heather leaned forward on her knees and looked him in the eyes. "I want a Trapinch."

"Oh, okay," Cody muttered, "but I don't think the Trapinch line lives in Skitrex. We going to use the GTS, or-"

"No, I'm going to catch one," she corrected. "I looked this up in Kito Grove. North of Tarperville, there is a place called Ford Cave. Apparently, they tried to introduce the Trapinch line there, but the population is causing damage to the environment, so they're asking that trainers thin out the population by catching them. It will be a ten day delay, but I really want a Trapinch." "That sounds fair," Cody agreed. "Okay. We'll get you a Trapinch. But can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you want one so bad?" he questioned curiously.

"Well," she breathed as she pat Nadine's ears, "I love Flygon. When I was a kid, my Grandpa always brought his with him when he visited. He wasn't a trainer, but his pet Flygon was so friendly, and it used to let me ride on its back. I really want a Trapinch because of that, and apparently, Flygon are one of the easiest dragon pokemon to care for, so… can we?"

"I already said yes," Cody chuckled, "I am the _map_ guy. If you want a Trapinch, we'll go get you one."

"Okay, thanks," she squealed before running up to him to give him a hug. "Do you want me to take first watch?" she asked in mid-hug.

"No, you get some sleep. I have some reading to do anyway," he told her.

"Okay, goodnight," she replied cheerily before going to her tent, Nadine at her heels.

Cody looked back at his field guide at a page on Zebstrika battle strategies. He had reread the passage a million times in the last week, trying to commit it to memory, but he couldn't concentrate. It was cold and he was still feeling troubled about the Venonat from earlier. _I'm definitely losing my mind. _Even so, he turned the field guide to the page on Venonat. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he felt the need to search for something to ease his mind, so he kept reading.

_In the wild, Venonat typically live in wooded areas or small suburban locations, so long as the flora that gives it its poison grows in said location. These plants include Timber Milk Vetch, Fiddleneck, Yew, and other poisonous varieties depending on the location (for specifics on which plants a local variety of Venonat feeds on, please refer to your local nature directory.) They tend to live in swarms of fifteen to twenty members, and typically try to avoid unfamiliar pokemon and humans alike._

_During the first winter, wild Venonat tend to hibernate (except for the few that form winter cocoons.) By the time the second winter comes, all Venonat that haven't formed evolution cocoons will typically die from the lower temperatures. Typically-_

Cody stopped reading there because things weren't adding up. It was the first month of the Skitrexian winter, so there was no reason that that a live wild Venonat should be out an about. Secondly, it didn't seem scared of them at all like the guidebook said it would be… that is, until it saw him pull out a pokeball. That was typically a learned reaction of pokemon who were around trainers.

"Not dead or hibernating in the winter, not afraid of us until it saw the pokeball…" Cody's eyes widened. _It must have belonged to a trainer. But if it belonged to a trainer… why was it alone? Unless it was sent to follow us. But why would anybody be- _"Frank!" he blurted out, but he covered his mouth immediately afterwards as if it would keep the noise from reaching his friends' ears. Fortunately, none of them woke up. But he remembered those vague threats that Frank had made before he left. What if they were being followed?

_Goddamn it, I gotta wake them and- _He was about to stand up, but he stopped himself. _There's no way. We're completely harmless, and that organization or whatever it is should know that. There's probably some explanation Besides, even if we were being followed, there's no way Jared would leave now. He'd probably just call me insane. So either way… _

Feeling slightly more relieved, he took in a deep breath and relaxed his muscles. Somewhere in a nearby tree, Antonia let put an ear piercing screech. Cody looked in the direction that the screech had come from. _I should probably check up on her soon._ But he felt his eyes closing. _Maybe in a minute…_

* * *

"_Christ, not this shit again!" He was back in the darkness once more, and his heart was immersed in fear. After the last dream, the very sight of the darkness and the white mist was enough to make him shiver._

"_Sleeping on your watch duty? That's not very responsible," the voice cackled. "A Beartic could be eating your friends as we speak."_

"_Okay, enough with this game," Cody shouted back, trying to not show any fear, though his voice was breaking. "If you're gonna stab me with metal stakes or something, just do it already and get it over with. I have to wake up an-" "Relax, we're not scheduled for tonight-"_

"_Scheduled?" Cody yelled angrily. "What is this, your aerobics!"_

"_You know… you're not as clever or as funny as you think you are…" Seconds later, a long silver nail was driven through his chest. He let out a shriek of pain as he tried to pull the nail out, but it wouldn't budge. "That's for interrupting me. I was going to spare you the pain tonight, but you still haven't learned to control your tongue. Shameful." "Fine!" Cody spat, "what do you have to tell me?"_

"_I am here to warn you," the voice said as the two colorless eyes blinked. "In the physical realm, someone is approaching you. His intentions are against your wishes, as well as mine, so I was coming to wake you up so you'll be prepared for his arrival."_

"_W-What?" Cody gasped, still clutching the nail. "You mean you were actually trying to-" "Help you?" the voice said, finishing his sentence in a sarcastic tone. "Remember Cody, you're a large investment of time and planning. If anything were to happen to you, it would be a huge waste. But I wouldn't let you die. I'm not evil… well, I guess that's sort of up for debate on a philosophical level, but when I rule over your realm, my word will be law, so it really doesn't matter, now does it?"_

_Cody didn't even know what to say. This all seemed so… out of the darkness's character._

"_Okay, wakey wakey now. Don't make your existence a waste!"_

"Wait what?" With a jolt, Cody sat up straight and opened his eyes. Nothing had changed since he had drifted off to sleep. The fire was still burning, Jared and Heather were still asleep in their tents, and Bastion was still asleep on his lap. All seemed right with the world. But what the nightmare had told him… there was somebody of ill-intent approaching? He didn't see anybody… Was the voice just trying to scare him again?

_Eh, everything looks okay. I better go check on Antonia. _He was about to stand up from his spot, but when he saw the Venonat staring at him from across the fire, he felt every muscle in his body go limp. The gnat was back… at least he was pretty sure it was the same one. The forest they were traveling in had very few wild pokemon, let alone bug pokemon, in the middle of the winter, so he made the safe assumption that it was the one that followed him earlier.

"Vi?" it chirped as it cocked its head. The little bug pokemon looked so innocent, but he knew that this was no coincidence. Again, he was about to stand up, but another interruption was on the way.

"Don't move," a masculine voice commanded in a blank tone. Before Cody could open his mouth to respond, a tiny figure leapt onto his knee covered his mouth with its hand… or flower. A small green pokemon with flowered hands was giving him an intense stare as it covered his mouth with the blue rose, as if it was daring him to make a move. Of course, he didn't. He remembered reading that Roselia spores could knock a human out in seconds after contact.

Frozen in place, Cody glanced around frantically to see who had ordered him to remain still. It was the motion in his right field of vision that gave him his answer. Two figures, one tall and one short, emerged from the darkness. He recognized the shorter figure as a Granbull. Despite being a dog, the purplish-pink pokemon stood up on two legs, and its hands resembled fists more than paws. It had two oversized fangs on its bottom jaw that extended above its eyes. Cody had a hard time believing that Granbull such as this one had timid natures, since this one looked particularly aggressive.

The other, taller figure took him a few seconds longer to process. It was a man (evident from the voice and body structure,) but he was dressed in what looked like black armor that flashed in the firelight. On his back, he carried a large black traveler's pack. His entire body was covered in this light armor, but his most distinctive article of clothing was his headwear. He was wearing a rounded, black helmet with a black visor, that covered up all of his face except for his mouth and chin.

_Cipher. _The word raced through Cody's mind as he looked at his captor with fear and he inhaled the sweet aromas of the Roselia's flower. However, the man in black had no response to this fear. His mouth betrayed no emotions. His only motion was from his left hand. He seemed to be squeezing all the force he could muster into a handheld stress ball. But after nearly a half-minute of silence, he spoke again.

"Granbull. Tents." The bipedal dog walked over to Heather's tent and stood next to it, awaiting further orders. "Roselia, knock the turtle out." The Roselia reached down to the opening of Bastion's shell with the other flower and released a puff of greenish dust into the hole. If Bastion were awake, he wouldn't be anymore.

"Don't worry. It's just a sedative," the armored man told Cody in case he didn't know already. "Don't be alarmed."

_Too late for that._

"Before we continue, I need to confirm that you are the one I am searching for. If you try to scream, call for help, or reach for your pokemon, Granbull will set the tents on fire." At the word "fire," the Granbull's large jaws lit up with flames. It was waiting on orders to use Fire Fang. "It would be sad if innocent people have to be hurt by your actions. So tell me, your name?" He motioned for the Roselia to lower her flower and she did so.

_My name… He's obviously associated with that organization that Frank is with. Should I try to lie? _He knew he couldn't tell a lie for his life, but he'd give it a shot. "Umm… Jared Rossinger," he muttered nervously. It was the first name that came to mind, but the armored man saw through this ruse.

"Liar," he stated simply. "Try again, but if you lie, I'll set the tents on fire." He was squeezing the stress ball even harder now.

He had no choice. He wasn't going to risk Heather and Jared's lives over this. "C-Cody Storm," he muttered in fear.

"That's what I thought," the man replied. "By orders of the Superior One, I am required to bring you in alive. If you do not struggle, you shall not be harmed. But for safety reasons, I will have to sedate you. Roselia." The Roselia raised its hand to put Cody to sleep, ready to release the spores-

"SKREEEEEEE!" Speeding like a bullet from a pistol, Antonia shot from the heavens and crashed her entire frame into the man in black's side. He let out a shout of pain as the bird landed on top of him and began trying to rip the helmet off of his head so she could get to his face. But she never got the chance, because the Granbull body slamed her hard enough to give her whiplash. The Roselia also left Cody's lap so she could aid her trainer, giving Cody the chance to return Bastion to his pokeball (he wouldn't be of any use if he was asleep.)

"Wake up!" Cody shouted frantically over all the noise, hoping that his friends would hear him. He stood up and reached for a pokeball, only to topple over as his left leg gave out. Once he recovered from the shock of falling over, he realized that he couldn't move his leg at all, but it didn't take him wrong to figure out why. The Venonat was standing a few feet away from his face. It had used Disable to cripple him.

"Cody, what the hell is going on?" Jared asked in a grumpy yell.

"I don't know, this freak is attacking us! Wake up Heather and help me! I can't walk!" He reached for a pokeball again and set out Elesa, who scared the Venonat away just by looking at it. "Go help Antonia!"

By this point, Antonia had taken quite a beating. She was holding her own pretty well for a chick, but the combined efforts of the Roselia and the Granbull were way too much for her to handle. But help was on the way as Elesa ran to help the battered bird, slamming her body into the pink bulldog and delivering a back heel to the tiny flowered pokemon.

"Urgh, you'll regret this," the armored man spat as he managed to stand up, clutching his ribs, some of which were probably broken by Antonia. He pulled another pokeball out and released a small blue lion with a black mane and yellow bands around its front legs. "Luxio, tear the zebra to shreds." The small lion let out a loud roar, and pounced towards the Zebstrika. Despite being smaller than the horse, the big cat managed to knock Elesa into a tree and began to slash at her back. The horse tried to electrocute the Luxio, but this did little to stop the attacker. Antonia had since fainted, so Cody returned her to her pokeball, attracting the attention of the Granbull. The dog barked, and barreled towards the prone trainer, but was stopped in its tracks by Somnos, who delivered a solid punch to the dogs jaw.

"Cody, let me help you!" Heather shouted as she grabbed her friend and helped him to his feet. "Are you al-"

"Yes, just prop me up against a tree or something until-"

"Got you covered," Jared interrupted, his voice filled with panic. He placed Cody's hand over his shoulder and held him up. "Heather, try to take down the tents so they don't get damaged. And send out some more pokemon or something." Charmeleon was already shooting fire at the man in black's Roselia, who was leaping over the flames like a dancer. But where was the attacker himself?

For the second time, Cody was knocked over, this time, by a large black dog with fierce red eyes. The vicious hound started to bite his shoulder, but was knocked off his chest by another dog of the same breed. Jared's Mightyena was out now, and was now tussling with the attackers.

"Where is he!" Cody gasped as he clutched his bitten shoulder.

"Over OOPH!" Jared was thrown against a nearby tree by the armored man. The attacker was holding him against the bark with his left arm while his right hand was holding a large hunting knife.

"No! Stop!" Cody shouted, but the man thrust the knife at Jared. Reflex took over as Cody's eyes blinked, but when he opened them again, he saw that the attacker had only caught Jared's clothes on the knife, stapling the trainer to the tree.

"Stay out of the way," the attacker said. He turned around to face Cody again. "Next time, it will be his face." That very second, the Venonat hopped onto Cody's chest. "Supersonic." The gnat began to make a high pitched whining sound that made Cody's head spin, but this action was halted as Bella head butted him off of the fallen teen. The Oddish began to spin, spraying a yellowish powder at the bug, but the Venonat countered this tactic with a Tackle.

"This is getting out of hand," the man in black armor sighed, shaking his head. "Brawls are not my style. You're only making this worse for yourself." He reached into his pack and pulled out a plastic water bottle filled with some oddly colored fluid. "Next time they intervene, I will hurt them." He lazily tossed the plastic bottle into the campfire.

"What did you just-"

Cody was unable to finish his question as a bright explosion burst from the fire, blinding him and the others. Whatever the man in black had tossed into the fire, it was obviously flammable. When the fire died down, the man and his pokemon were gone. All that was left were the half collapsed tents, the trainers, and the pokemon that were fighting. Elesa had teeth and claw marks all over her backside, Somnos was covered in burn marks and bruises, Charmeleon was shivering, probably from some powdery side effect from one of the Roselia's attacks, Mightyena was licking its wounds, and Bella was shaking from a Supersonic that the Venonat was hit with. They all were breathing heavily from the brutality that the attacker's pokemon had exhibited.

"Okay, will somebody tell me what the hell just happened!" Jared screamed. He looked furious, and being stuck to the tree wasn't helping. It was Heather who released him. "No seriously, what the hell! That guy just attacked us! He didn't take anything or-"

"Jared, calm down so we can-"

"No, Heather, I will NOT calm down!" he screamed. It was so strange seeing him this flustered. "What just happened!"

Heather and Cody traded looks of concern. It wasn't going to be pretty trying to explain to him what had just happened, since he barely knew himself.

"You know what? Just forget this! Let's just pack up our things and get the hell out of here. After we cover some ground, then we'll try to figure out what happened." He groaned, and went over to his tent so he could pack up his things.

"Cody… can you walk now?" Heather asked as she knelt next to him, a concerned expression painted on her face.

"Yeah, yeah…" Using her body as support, he hoisted himself to his feet. "We're going to have to tell him now, aren't we?"

"I'm afraid so…" She was smiling now, but it wasn't a happy smile. She looked just as scared of Jared as he was. "Let's pack up before he explodes again."

* * *

For the next hour, the three trainers traveled through the woods in silence, the only light coming from Chameleon's tail. Along with the fear of being followed, there was also a noticeable tension between the three of them, mostly from Jared. For the past hour, he had taken over the map duties, and whenever Cody or Heather asked a question or voiced a concern, he'd snap at them. They both decided that it would be better to keep their mouths shut until the older trainer calmed down.

"Okay," Jared finally said in an exasperated voice, "do you think he's following us?" "I doubt it," Cody answered. "He said he doesn't like brawls, so I doubt he'll try to anything if we're all awake and paranoid, right?" "Yeah, I guess so," Jared replied with a grunt. The trio and the Charmeleon had stopped on the path by Jared, who now turned to face Cody. "So do you know anything about what happened?" he asked sternly.

"Wait, why are you looking at me?" "Because Cody, that guy kept talking to you specifically. We all heard it. It's as if he knew you or something!" Jared was getting mad again, and it was making Cody very uncomfortable.

"I know, but I never met the guy before-" "Well what do you know!" Jared shouted.

"Jared-" Heather began, but he held up his hand to silence her.

"Heather, he did something to piss somebody off. I know it. No more secrets! What was that all about Cody!"

Cody looked over at Heather, who looked just as nervous as he did. It was time to come clean, and it wasn't going to be pretty. Cody began to retell the entire story, dating back to when Heather and him had met Frank and everything that had happened from there up until the second meeting that he and Frank had had in Kito Grove. Jared listened patiently, but he looked like a balloon that was about to burst from over inflation.

"Okay then," Jared replied, holding back his frustration. But in a sudden rush, he slammed Cody against a tree. "YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!" "Jared!" Heather yelled as she tried to pull Jared off of Cody, who was stunned at Jared's outburst, but Jared ignored her.

"Why didn't you file a police report before we left Kito Grove!"

"Because I didn't have anything to pin on him! He didn't attack me or-" "You have reason to believe that he's a cipher dressing stalker and you don't tell anybody!" "I-" "Now we're being followed by some weirdo, and it's because you didn't take any action because you didn't use your goddamn brain!" Jared shouted again. By now, there were a few Hoothoot sitting in the trees nearby, watching the action.

"Look, I didn't think it through, but I didn't think I'd have to. I didn't think they'd actually go this far," Cody argued. "Seriously. I'm just a two badge trainer! No organization should care about me, since I'm trying to avoid them to begin with!"

"But you should have considered them a threat to us too!" Jared yelled again. "We could have gotten hurt! And our pokemon were brutalized. That guy and his pokemon were pretty strong! I don't think we'd be able to handle him individually! Because of you, one of us could have been killed!"

"Well what do you want me to do! Go with him?" Cody shot back.

"Of course not! But still! For all we know, they could be tracking us with your cell phone, or by that blog you have, or the Pokemon Centers-" "Pokemon Centers?" Cody asked. "What do you mean?" "Yes," Jared groaned, finally letting go of Cody's shirt. "They keep track of trainers' I.D.s whenever they check in. If this organization found a way to hack the system files, they could figure out where you are at any time."

Cody stared blankly at his aggressor. "Fine… I'll get a new phone and stop updating the blog… as for the Pokemon Centers…" "There is nothing you can do about that… legally, at least. We'll just have to hope they aren't following us that way." Jared took in a deep breath, and looked back at Heather, who was looking on at him meekly. "There's another thing about this whole situation that's pissing me off. It's you two." He turned back to Cody. "You two are keeping all of these secrets from me. Is there anything else you two aren't telling me?"

"Look, we didn't want you to worry-" Heather began, but once again, Jared shut her up.

"That's an awful reason, because I'm worried as hell now! Being stalked is bad enough, but now I know you're keeping secrets from me. Am I some sort of outsider with you two?"

"No, Jared! Listen to me!" she begged as she turned him towards her. "I didn't want you-"

"To find out?" he barked back. "Well too late!" He folded up the map and threw it to Cody. "You two can go to Taperville on your own. I'm leaving!"

"Quit being a moron!" Cody shouted. "It's my fault. I made her swear not to say anything to you."

"Cody, you don't-" "Look, Jared, if you're going to be mad at anybody, be mad at me. Heather did what I told her, okay? Besides, you know another reason why we said nothing! Because you'd probably call me insane like you always do! Why the hell should I even try to explain anything to you if you think everything I say is stupid?" Jared turned back to him, fire still burning in his eyes. But at the same time, he seemed to realize that not only was Cody telling the truth about the secret, but that he also had a good reason to believe that Jared wouldn't believe him no matter what he said.

"Fine. Let's go then. We'll sleep when we get into town." He and Charmeleon walked ahead, not wanting to deal with the other two trainers.

"You didn't have to do that," Heather whispered to Cody.

"Yes I did. He wanted the truth, so I told him," he replied. "Besides, I don't want you two to start fighting because of me."

Heather didn't know what to say at first, but then she hugged him for a second as they walked. "Thanks," she whispered in his ear.

"Just consider it an early Christmas gift," he told her. Those were the last words spoken for the rest of the hike as the tension was still thick. But all three trainers were thinking the same thing: they were being watched.


	20. Chapter 20: Perspectives

**Replies to the reviews:**

_And Jared is an a-hole... but I love how he is written._

**He is to a point, but he had a good reason, methinks. He almost got gutted, and Cody and Heather were keeping him out of the loop, which was kind of upsetting.**

_I like the tier system thing you did it make a lot more sense then having the gym leaders as protectors of badges._

**I agree. Look at Brock in Kanto. To think that as an accomplished trainer, his pokemon would never be high leveled is silly to say the least. **

_I did not think Laurence was the type to have sex_

**Don't we all want to get a little bit of sex?**

**This chapter is a bit different. You'll see why when you start reading.**

**Thanks to Magikarp Master for editing and thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Perspectives**

Christmas didn't bring a day off for Frank, but that didn't bother him so much since he never had many days off to begin with, and the job was rewarding enough. The older teen and his first pokemon had been spending the morning and noon hours ladling soup for the poor in a Noroleigh City soup kitchen.

The percentage of people in poverty in Noroleigh City was the second highest in Skitrex. Along with the normal homeless that flooded the streets, there were a large number of dead-end trainers that came to the city to find some luck so they could improve their craft. Noroleigh didn't have a gym, but the city had several small tournament circuits running year-round for all levels of trainers. Many struggling trainers would come to Noroleigh and enter the tournaments so that they could improve and win money, but the many of these struggling trainers would just end up losing more money through entry fees. Once broke, some trainers would find themselves unable (or just too stubborn) to leave or ask for help, and then they would end up falling into crime (explaining why the city also had a high crime rate). Then there were those few young trainers who had no homes to return to. Some of these trainers had no families to return to because said families had disowned them for becoming trainers in the first place, since not every family approved of the risky career. Others just didn't have families to begin with, but filed for trainer licenses so that they could escape from the foster care system. Kids were trying to grow up too fast, but they were getting nowhere.

_[This is boring,] _Isaac said dully as he poured a ladleful of chicken-celery dumpling soup into a young woman's bowl. _[I don't care about Christmas, but there are so many things I'd rather be doing right now.]_

"It's honest work," Frank reminded the Mr. Mime in a soft voice so none of the hungry could hear him. "Think of all the people you're helping today. Nobody should have to go hungry when it's that cold outside."

_[I still don't get it,] _the mime continued in an annoyed tone. _[You're always saying 'teach a man to fish' and all that jazz. This isn't teaching them how to fish. They should get a job like everybody else and go-]_

"Not as easy as you play it out to be," the mohawk wearing trainer told his pokemon. "In this economy, getting a job can be pretty difficult, especially if you're homeless and you lack the proper credentials. Until we can help these people get to that point in their lives, we have to help them through the everyday. Get it?"

_[Yeah, yeah, I get it. Still, humans don't care about their genetic lineage, it seems. In the wild, it's the weak die out and the strong that survive. You don't see the runt getting a free ride.]_

"Well, I believe anybody can be successful," Frank retorted. "It's just society and the government that does this to us."

_[Alas, society's invention to keep order and peace has turned against you. I guess I can see why we're fighting for a new order. Still, I wonder if the organization can ever truly reach that.] _Again, Isaac let out another exasperated sigh as he filled another person's food bowl.

Frank shook his head and went back to his work. Isaac was a difficult pokemon to deal with, but Frank still enjoyed his company. Receiving Isaac and joining the organization were the turning points in his life. Before that, he was a high school dropout working as a con artist on the streets of Noroleigh. Father Ezekiel, the head honcho himself, was actually the one who found him and offered him work with the organization. It was this situation that allowed Frank to have a friendship with the boss, despite his rather low and obscure rank. However, he wasn't a part of the group because he wanted power through this relationship, but because he believed in everything Ezekiel said. The man was an intelligent, charismatic, and one of the most skilled battlers he had ever seen who wasn't associated with the Skitrexian league.

"Hey Frank, you're off duty now. I'm here to relieve you," another member said as he approached the back counter.

"Okay, thanks Gary," he answered kindly. "You're free," he said to the Mr. Mime.

_[Thank Arceus, if I ever have to ladle another bowl of soup…] _The two left the counter and went over to the service elevator that Gary had arrived in so they could descend to the lower levels of the building. The soup kitchen and Noroleigh HQ were located in an old warehouse that had five basement levels. It wasn't glamorous, but it was cheap and efficient, which was just what the members needed. They descended past the first four basements, containing supplies, a battle room, dormitories, and private offices. After a minute on the slow elevator, Isaac and he finally reached the bottom basement, where he and the other non-permanently based members slept.

The bottom basement was musty, but a livable location lit up with several light bulbs that illuminated the bunk beds and the locations of the bathrooms. Not many trainers were down here at this hour though, except the night-workers who were sleeping. The only sounds that were eminent were the sounds of dripping water and a repeated "thunking" noise in the distance.

_[I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when something relevant happens,] _Isaac said with a yawn. _[If you aren't going to sleep, go tell whoever is making that sound to stop it. It's already driving me crazy.]_

"Wait, I thought that mimes like you could nullify sounds at will," Frank argued.

_[Yeah, not when we're trying to sleep, Einstein. Make the noise stop.]_

"Ugh, fine," Frank groaned. Sometimes, he didn't know who the real trainer was between Isaac and him. Listening to the sounds of the "thunking," he made his way through the bunks until he reached the back left corner of the room. But the sight of the culprit made his jaw drop.

"Casper… it's been awhile."

The other man turned around from tossing the large rubber ball against the wall and looked Frank in the eyes. "So it has," he replied in a monotone voice.

Frank and Casper were both in the same work group back when the two of them were working in Tempest Valley. Capser was a few years older than him, but his face contained the strange combination of youth and intensity. He had piercing grey eyes, shoulder length black hair, and a decently built physique. The young man was the archetype of enigma, being a man of few words and a past lacking any explanation. Despite all of this, he was an incredible battler who preliminarily trained dozens of pokemon for new members, and he was one of the better "snatchers" in the organization. However, he had a few awkward quirks, namely his inability to sit still. Whenever Frank saw the man, he was always playing or fiddling with some toy. He figured that Casper had ADD or something similar, but he never felt comfortable enough to ask. Needless to say, there was something strange going on in the attic that was Casper's head.

"I didn't know you were here. I've been here for five days now and I haven't seen you," Frank said, though not seeing Casper wasn't that surprising, given that the guy liked to keep himself scarce.

"I just arrived this morning," Casper answered, disinterested. "The plan was that I was supposed to arrive here with my catch, but this one got away. Too bad. The Superior One came to this city just to meet the captive."

"Somebody escaped from you?" Frank answered in genuine surprise. "That doesn't happen often…"

"Yeah, well I would have succeeded if it weren't for some confounding variables," he replied. "Unfortunately, my cover was blown and I had to fight the target and his friends. I could have handled them individually, but not as a group." "Oh, that sucks. What do you plan on doing now?" Frank asked.

"Father Ezekiel was okay with it. This target is only a low level threat, so I'm going to be running other jobs while I trail this kid for awhile. Not making any moves for a few months until his concern drops. Just gonna keep him and his friends on their toes."

"Okay then it could have been worse, right?"

"Definitely, but it could have been a lot better too." The fidgety young man began to toss the ball several inches into the air and caught it without giving the action any attention. "So what jobs have you been running lately?"

"Oh, well I-"

"Is Frank Bedri here!" a voice shouted from the service elevator.

"Coming!" Frank shouted back. "Look, I'll chat with you later, okay Casper?"

"Sure. Later," Casper replied, unconcerned. He then turned around and started tossing the ball against the wall as if he was never disturbed.

_What a weird dude. _He walked over to the service elevator where he saw another member waiting for him. "You called?" "The Superior One wishes to speak with you. He's in his temporary office on the second basement level."

"Okay, thanks." He and the other member got on the elevator and went up to the second floor and they separated from there. After walking down the hall, he reached the boss's room. He took a deep breath before entering. Even though he knew the boss on a personal level, he never felt at ease when visiting with the man. It was something about his stoic nature that made him intimidating, if that made any sense. After inhaling once more, he knocked on the door.

"Come in," the man inside said.

Being only a temporary office for when the boss was in town, the entire room was pretty blank. The only furniture was a steel desk, a small armchair, and a little metal chair for visitors. There were two pokemon in the room too. The well-groomed Houndoom that was lying on the ground curiously raised its head upon Frank's entry and lowered it again when he realized that the guest was uninteresting. The other pokemon, a Slowking, was sitting in the corner, reading a book that he was levitating in front of his face. Unlike the Houndoom, he didn't even bother to look up at who had entered the room.

The boss himself was intently typing something on his laptop, but he looked up and smiled at who he saw. "Ah Frank, you've arrived. Please have a seat." He sat down in the smaller chair and looked at his boss. Though Frank didn't know his boss's age, Frank figured that the man looked to be in his mid-fifties. Ezekiel's smile made his peaceful demeanor even more trusting. His medium length grey hair and somewhat wrinkled face made him look sort of like somebody's cool grandfather. Ezekiel closed his laptop and looked over at Frank, still smiling.

"You wanted to see me sir?" Frank asked respectfully.

"Yes, there are two missions I've selected you for. Both of them are delicate and one of them is only kept among the higher ranking members, so I decided to talk to you about this subject in person," he replied in an easy voice.

"Okay then, what's the first mission?" Frank asked.

"The first one is easy," the older man began. "You are to borrow one of our service cars and drive west onto I-12 until you turn off onto Exit 23. There's a little town out there called Grayson's Outpost. Barely even a town really. More like an oversized truck stop. Anyway, find a general store called Bryans. They're holding a package for me. Talk to the man who owns the place, slip him this." He handed Frank an envelope that felt like it was filled with a hundreds. "Tell him that 'Father is waiting.' He'll hand you the package, and you'll return here." He then handed Frank a piece of paper that repeated all the information that he was just told. "Think you can handle it?"

"This? Piece of cake. I'll get a quick nap and leave tonight," Frank answered with confidence. "But why have a package delivered to some random general store? Why not just have it shipped to the main HQ?"

"No, we don't want anything besides business and financial letters coming in and out of that building. For cargo of magnitude, it would be very unfortunate if we were to be uncovered. Trust me though, what's in that package is worth the gas money," Father Ezekiel assured.

"Okay, I'll have it to you by tomorrow, Father."

"Excellent. You have been quite faithful to me Frank. I shall remember your good works always," Ezekiel said, stroking his chin. "Now would you like to hear about your second mission?"

"Yes sir," Frank replied. Two important missions at once was pretty exciting.

"I'm organizing a small group under Paulson to head to the Frostscar Mountains in the north. Along with setting up a small HQ in Firnborn City, which is mostly your duty along with some of the other service members, the members will also be doing some searching. We have reason to believe that a very rare and quite essential pokemon resides there. At this point in time, we will not be able to capture it, but we have several runes experts that will-"

"Wait, you're not talking about the Arcticuno, are you?" Frank interrupted. "Isn't that thing protected by law?"

"It is. Arcticuno are quite rare," Ezekiel agreed. "However, it isn't an Arcticuno that we seek." The older man looked around as though there might be others listening. Then he looked back at Frank with intent. "Regice."

"Re- Regi-what?" Frank asked, confused.

"Ha ha, I didn't think you know. Not many do." He opened his desk drawer and took out a book. After flipping through some pages, he put the open book in front of frank. The lettering on the ancient book was in some foreign language, but the picture on the second page was of a strange figure. It was an ancient drawing of a robotic looking figure with geometric features and seven eyes, forming a cross. "It's called a Regice. They are living remnants from the ice ages. But they are incredibly rare. Experts believe that there are only four or five left in existence."

"Wait, so it does exist?" Frank asked with a light gasp.

"Yes, their existence isn't a matter of lore. It's their location that we care about. The only known Regice lives in Hoenn, but we can't go after that one without attracting international attention, being that one is legally protected. However, the rune experts that we've hired believe that there is a Regice in Skitrex. However, since it is unknown by the populous, we can take it without being noticed, not to mention legally. We narrowed its location down two a few spots, and Frostscar looks the most promising."

"That's amazing… but how do we expect to find it if nobody else has yet?" Frank questioned. "Obviously, finding it would be difficult if-"

"We'll find it," Ezekiel said with certainty in his smile. "I have faith in my children. And if we don't find it, we have a plan B and a plan C. Don't worry about 'what if' and instead worry about the goals as we see them."

"Yes sir," Frank said quietly. "But you said it is essential… Why do we need this pokemon?"

"In good time, Frank. In good time," he chuckled. "Go sleep now. You have a long drive tonight."

"Yes Father," Frank replied. He stood up to leave, but then he stopped himself. There was something bothering him and he needed to get it off of his chest. "Father Ezekiel… you sent Casper after Cody Storm, didn't you?"

"Ah, you are bright, child," he replied in a soothing voice. "How did you know?" "I was talking to Casper earlier and I figured…" He sighed and touched a strand of his hair, twisting over his finger. "With all due respect sir, why send Casper to perform this extraction? Cody is afraid of us enough as it is, and you know how Casper is. He's good at what he does, but he doesn't follow our code of peace."

"Frank," Ezekiel began to say again, "I have children you know. I know what it's like to be a father. I have always tried to raise my children with love. But when it was necessary, I would have to show them that I can be feared as well. Young Storm will have to come to terms with the fact that we are in fact a powerful force, and if it takes a bit of fear to prove that, so be it. But relax, for I assure you that Casper will not harm your friend." The older man then clenched his fist and he frowned. Seeing the good natured man frown seemed so unnatural. "I will not allow it."

* * *

_[This place is a dump,] _Isaac groaned as his trainer and he exited the sedan they had borrowed for the drive. _[Couldn't the Superior One have had his precious package delivered to somewhere more pleasant?]_

"Can the superiority complex," Frank said as he looked around at Grayson's Outpost. It was morning and there were a lot of big rigs parked at a truck fueling station where they had parked, and several men were having coffee inside the station. They looked just like one would expect a generic trucker to appear as. "Come on, let's go find the general store."

Bryans wasn't that difficult to find in the tiny town, being that there were practically only a dozen buildings. The man inside the store behind the counter was a gruff looking fellow with a long grey beard and a balding head. He barely seemed to notice Frank's entry, but simply stared into space. After looking through the store for a minute, Frank picked out two bottles of Dr. Piplup and brought them over to the counter.

"Three fifty," the man responded on auto-pilot, but Frank replied by putting the envelope of money on the counter.

"Father is waiting," he said coolly. The shop owners eyes lit up, and after taking his money, he walked into a back room behind the counter. A minute later, he appeared again with a black metal box. Wordlessly, he placed the metal box on the counter and nodded. Frank picked the mysterious box up and eyed it. He was curious to know what it was, but he dared not to open it. Father Ezekiel had put a lot of trust in him for this job, and looking in the box would be a shameful thing to do. To keep it out of his mind, he put it in his backpack and headed towards the door.

_[Well that was easy enough,] _Isaac muttered as the two left the shop. He opened his soda and began to drink. The pokemon didn't seem to mind drinking the ice cold cola outside in the middle of winter.

"Yeah. Too easy. But it must be important if he had it delivered so discretely. Come on, let's-" He stopped in mid-step as he looked through the window of the laundromat they were passing. By pure chance, a familiar face was sitting on a washing machine, lazily reading a book while his Squirtle slept by his side. _Cody. _"Hey, Isaac," he whispered as the mime looked where his trainer was looking, "check this out."

_[Oh look, he's doing his laundry. Let's go,] _the Mr. Mime persisted, but Frank didn't budge,

"Let's go chat with him," Frank insisted.

_[Oh no, after Casper went after him? I don't think so. He'll probably kill us. Besides, it's not in our directive.]_

"Neither are these sodas, but you didn't object to those," Isaac's trainer pointed out.

_[Whatever. I'll be in the car. Call me when he starts kicking your ass.]_ The mime continued walking down the street, seemingly unconcerned, but Frank knew that his pokemon would be keeping his ear open for trouble.

_Let's see how this goes. _He entered the Laundromat, causing the bell on the door to jingle. Upon the ringing, Cody casually looked up to see the new arrival. But when seeing that it was Frank, his face went whiter than the snow outside. "Hey Cody, how's it going?"

"Y-You!" he shouted. The Squirtle, sensing his trainer's distress, leapt in front of his trainer and growled at the older teen.

"Whoa, whoa! No need to be so hostile," Frank said in false fear, putting his hands above his head. "What did I ever do to you, kid?"

"What did you- You sent that guy after me!" Cody shouted hysterically. "But this time, I'm in control! Not you! I have all my pokemon with me right now, so one wrong move, and Bastion will snap your neck with an Iron Tail. And that's not a threat: it's a promise!" His eyes were flashing like lightning.

"Look, I'm not here to fight you-"

"Then why are you here!" Cody bellowed. Frank could tell by the young trainer's constant scattered glances that he was terrified. He must have been looking around to see if Frank was alone or not. Bastion was still focused on the intruder, not letting Frank escape his sight.

"Look, you can cool your jets, there is nobody with me, I promise," Frank assured him. "And he boss wouldn't send me to get you since I seem to be incapable of doing so. I promise you, I saw you on pure chance alone."

"Really now… Doubtful," Cody grunted angrily.

"Look, I'm here on business, but when I saw you, I wanted to talk to you. I mean, what are you doing here? There aren't any gyms out this way, and you aren't heading to Noroleigh by the looks of it."

"That's none of your business," Cody replied harshly. "What do we possibly have to talk about, Frank? You and your co-workers have been stalking us! You think I want to talk to you after you sent that guy-"

"Cody, don't be ridiculous," Frank scoffed, "I don't have the authority to send snatchers after you."

"Snatchers?" he asked dumbly.

"Look," Frank continued, ignoring the question of definition, "I wanted to make sure you were okay, but I guess you aren't, and I truly am about that. I just wanted to remind you that our intent for you isn't harmful. The Superior One just wants to speak to you and that's it."

"And this is how he accomplishes his goals?" Cody shouted again. "By sending some psycho after me? This guy threatened to kill my friend, and I'm supposed to believe the intent wasn't harmful?"

"Personally, I don't agree with it either," Frank admitted quietly as if Ezekiel would hear him. "Casp- Er, I mean, 'he' isn't a good representation of what our organization stands for. I'm sorry that you and your friends were brutalized, but we really mean no harm."

"Whatever, I'm calling the police," Cody stated. He pulled out his phone, but he didn't dial anything yet since Frank tried to reason with him some more.

"Cody, don't act like this," he said calmly. "Come with me and we can get this all cleared up and-"

"Fat chance," Cody answered, "I'm not going anywhere with you. As far as I am concerned, you and everybody you work with are crazy." He looked back at the phone and went back to dialing, so Frank knew that this was his cue to leave. Thankfully, neither Cody nor Bastion tried to stop him as he backed out of the building.

_[Hmm, you're still alive?] _Isaac asked Frank as he returned to the car. _[I take it he didn't take your arrival well?]_

"Understatement. The guy is freaking out," Frank answered. "Let's get going. There isn't a police station for twenty miles, but we don't want to be around when they get here." The two got into the car and drove out of the truck stop and back onto the highway.

_[You seem pretty uptight,] _Isaac commented after five or so minutes into the drive.

"Yeah, well, I'm just a little bit peeved," Frank admitted. "That poor kid… I mean, we were all scared of the organization when we were told about some of the heavy stuff, but… I just don't understand why Father Ezekiel would send Casper of all the possible snatchers… Now Cody is terrified and I don't understand why he has to be. A good amount of fear is healthy, but this much… why?"

_[It's like you all say: Father knows best,] _the Mr. Mime commented.

"Yeah, well… I just don't understand why he had to put so much fear in him. I guess he wanted to use that fear to drive Cody in since he was resistant to even hearing Father out, but it really seems to have backfired."

_[Hmm… Are you questioning the superior one's actions?] _the mime asked.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter," Frank sighed. "Father Ezekiel knows what he's doing. I guess I should just have faith in him."

_[Faith in the unknown, no matter the twists and turns. Sounds like religion,] _Isaac pondered. _[Whatever comforts you, Frank.]_

"Sure…" he replied. Ezekiel knew what he was doing, so he'd have to have faith.

_[You know, if we see that kid again, I suggest that we avoid him. We could have gotten in serious trouble, and not just with his pokemon. We don't want to attract any unnecessary attention to us, especially from the police.. All this trouble, and for what? Just because we needed to pick up an empty pokeball?]_

"A pokeball?" Frank asked in confusion, "what are you talking about?"

_[That's what's in the box,] _the mime explained. _[I can sense it. I'm 99% sure that it's a pokeball.]_

"Wait, how can you tell?" Frank asked suspiciously. "They rig packages and boxes that travel through the mail so that psychic pokemon can't see through them."

_[Yes, but that box has a small weak spot on its left side, so I can feel what's inside. It's a spherical and about the size of a pokeball, so I'm making a guess.]_

"Are you sure?" the Mime's trainer asked.

_[Frank, I've been inside a pokeball. I know a pokeball when I sense one.] _The mime leaned his head against the window in exasperation. _[And that pokeball feels empty. We went all the way to Grayson's for an empty pokeball. If the Superior One wanted a pokeball so bad, he should have just went to a pokemart and bought one. I just don't get it.]_

"That is a curious thing," Frank admitted. Suddenly, he was thinking to. _An empty pokeball? If it's true, then it must be important for some reason. But what pokeball would be worth all of this caution? _The answer came to him almost immediately.

* * *

**Recently started playing Team Fortress 2. Fun game, but I suck at it. Still, it's free on Steam now, so happy day.**

**BTW, anybody here have a story in one of the pogeyman communities? Reason I ask is that I've been asking community owners if they'd accept this one into their archive. Unfortunately, none of them have ever responded. Still, I'd love to get this story above cult status, so if anybody knows a fitting community that would like this story, let me know in a PM or review.**

**Happy training!**


	21. Chapter 21: The Brave and the Brash 1

** Okay, back to the normal script. Hope I managed to build some suspense and stuff with that last chapter, but even so, we will now be continuing with Cody and friends. This chapter is sort of a late Halloween treat, so enjoy.**

** By the way, a random note. Wolfdude asked me earlier where Skitrex is I comparison to the rest of the world. Again, this is a fictional region/country/whatever, but if I had to choose, Skitrex would be in North-Eastern America/South-Eastern Canada, mostly due to the weather. It's not the actual location in this world, but its closest comparison I can think of.**

** Also, if anybody can suggest a community that might add my story to their archive, let me know. I've already asked three times, but no response yet.**

** Thanks to Magikarp Master for editing.**

* * *

**Cody: **_Bastion__(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika)_

**Heather: **_Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Bella (Oddish), Trapinch_

**Jared: **_Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Fearow, Bagon, Onix_

**Chapter 21: The Brave and the Brash (Part 1)**

The past ten days had been very stressful. The fear of the man in black was eminent, and seeing Frank at Grayson's Outpost days didn't help in any way. As far as they were concerned, they were always being watched. They had resorted to walking by night and sleeping by day near trainer campgrounds, but it wasn't enough to ease their nerves.

To make matters worse, the whole attack did nothing to help Cody's and Jared's relationship. In the last few months, they had been getting along better, but all of that went out the window after they were assaulted by the mysterious stranger. Since then, the two had been arguing nonstop, sometimes over the most trivial and pointless things. The only thing they didn't argue over was the excursion for Heather to catch her Trapinch, but that was expected. It wasn't likely that Jared would deny his girlfriend the opportunity to catch a new pokemon, even if it delayed their trip by a few days.

January proved to be even colder than the previous months. Even without wind or falling snow, the air was more frigid than anything Cody had ever experienced. Antonia didn't seem to mind though, now that the armor on her body was growing thicker and more wind resistant. Her trainer looked over enviously at Jared and Heather, who were huddled together as they walked next to Charmeleon. He wanted to walk near the flame lizard as well so he could warm up, but he really didn't want to do anything that might give Jared and him a reason to fight.

"I need a fire pokemon," he announced to his companions. This random statement caused Jared to groan.

"I don't think you can handle it, Cody," he stated in a tired voice. "Fire pokemon are difficult to raise since you have to teach them how to control their flames. You wouldn't believe how many clothes I've had to throw out because of Charmeleon here."

"You really underestimate me," Cody replied sourly. "I had to wrestle with Antonia everyday for an entire month. I think I could handle a fire pokemon."

"And you overestimate your abilities. Look at your Skarmory. She still doesn't recognize the difference between how she should act between hunting and pokemon battles, and you've had her for how long?"

"Hey, she'll learn," Cody insisted. "Now, what fire pokemon live around here?"

"Um…" Jared began to ponder as he scratched his head, "Houndour live around here, but they're pretty rare, and even more so in the winter. Besides, I doubt you'd want to go after one of those, since they're usually in packs with Houndoom, and nobody wants to get an entire pack of dogs on their case."

"True enough," Cody agreed as he shivered, partly from the cold and partly from the memory of almost getting mauled by a Houndoom.

"What about Growlithe?" Heather suggested as she cradled her Trapinch in her arms. The little pokemon did not like the cold, but keeping it out of its pokeball during the winter forced the little bugger to snuggle next to Heather for warmth, which was a good bond strengthening tactic. "Aren't they supposed to be more loyal and easier to train?" But Jared shook his head.

"Growlithe and Houndour typically don't share the same territory. Besides, the Growlithe line is more common in the north of Skitrex. I doubt we'll be heading into Growlithe territory until late spring at the earliest. But if you really wanted to get a fire pokemon, you could probably find a good one on the GTS or something if you look hard enough."

"Yeah, sure," he replied sullenly. He thought about the last resort option of using the GTS. Even though he was winning a lot of money as of late, he didn't want to spend a lot of it on a pokemon that he wouldn't meet until the transaction was made. The other option was trading, but that would require finding another pokemon worth trading since he didn't want to trade his own. However, even if he did find a pokemon worth trading, it would probably be difficult searching for a trainer who would trade a fire pokemon for his specifically. That, and the original problem of uncertainty with what he might get in return was a big risk.

"Besides, why would you want a fire pokemon right now? Just to keep you warm?" Jared asked. "Because really, that's kinda superficial. Especially since the next gym for you guys is an earth gym, so fire isn't going to help you. So going through all of that trouble-"

"Why are you always like this?" Cody groaned angrily. As he asked, he saw Heather shaking her head as if to tell him to stop talking, but he ignored her. "You turn down everything I have to say and you try and make me look like an idiot. What's with you, bro? I thought we were friends now!"

"Well 'bro,'" Jared stated sarcastically as he stopped walking and crossed his arms, "you _are_ an idiot! Need I remind you about our little run-in with your friend's friend?"

"Oh Jesus H. Christ, you're pulling that card on me AGAIN!" Cody shouted back.

"Guys-" Heather tried to inject, but Cody ignored her for a second time.

"Look Jared, I tried to do what I thought was best, alright? And I was wrong! For once in my miserable life, I was wrong, so how about you just sue me! I can't stand your constant bitching about every little thing!"

"Oh, I wish I could sue you sometimes, given that one of us could have gotten killed!" Jared snapped back angrily. "You are such an arrogant little prick, Storm! If you weren't Heather's friend, I would have kicked your ass long ago!"

"Guys-"

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" Cody taunted. "The choir boy wants to fight me?"

"Choir boy! Is that some sort of shot at my beliefs! What, you think that because you're an atheist, you're better than me! Well maybe it's the other way around!" At this point, the two were nose to nose, both of them ready to strike.

"Really now? Who's self-righteous now then?" Cody retorted. "At least I'm not constantly trying to push my opinions down your throat!" At this point in the argument, Charmeleon began to growl fiercely towards Cody, his eyes glowing with pent up rage. Antonia had returned to her trainer's side and let out a threatening screech, ready to fight the burning tale pokemon if he were to attack, though her efforts would be futile.

"Guys, will you please list-"

"Jared, how about you call back your pokemon, I'll call back mine, and we'll settle this like men," Cody suggested gravely.

"Cody, you can't beat me in a fight. I know how to box," Jared said, sure of himself, but the younger, blond haired trainer snickered.

"I had to beat this shit out of Antonia for countless weeks so that she would respect me," he chuckled. "I think I can get it out of you in three seconds."

"We'll see about-"

"GUYS!" Heather shrieked in an ear piercing voice, grabbing the attention of teens and their pokemon. Her Trapinch leapt out of her arms and began to make barking sounds in a startled fury.

"Heather, stay out of this-" Jared began, but she would have none of it.

"Listen to me! You two are acting like children, but more importantly, we're being watched!"

"What? What do you-" Cody stopped himself in his sentence when he looked back at the little purple bug pokemon staring at them with its huge red eyes. _Venonat._

"Why is it even following us?" Cody whispered. "Why doesn't the lunatic just get us himself?"

_ "_Venonat are quiet and have great eyesight," Jared answered, his voice filled with nervousness. "That guy probably trained it to follow people, like a scout."

"Then what do we do?" Heather asked, her eyes not drifting from the watching gnat.

"We run… run like hell and hope it can't catch up with us," Jared said, but Cody disagreed.

"Or you can have Charmeleon blast that thing, and then it won't follow us."

"If that guy is near though, he might just attack us directly if we provoke him. See, it's stuff like this which gives me even more reason to believe that you shouldn't have a fire pokemon if you're just going to be-"

"Just shut up," Cody interrupted. "Let's let Heather decide, since we aren't going to agree about anything. So what do you think? Fight back, or run?"

"Um… kinda putting me on the spot, don't you think?" she asked. "Well… I guess we should run… I mean, we don't kow what this guy has planned or-"

"Fine," Cody replied, slightly annoyed by her decision. _What was I thinking? Of course she would side with her boyfriend._

"Okay then, when are we going to start running?" she asked in a voice that barely rose above the sound of the breeze.

"Right now." Immediately, all three teens began a mad sprint down the path, their pokemon following them once they realized what was happening. Cody looked over his shoulder while running to see that the Venonat wasn't following, but the group continued to run nonetheless.

"How long are we going to run for?" Heather asked after they had been running for a minute or so.

"Until we find a good place to stop, like a campground or a suburb or something. Cody, did you remember seeing anything like that on the map!"

"No, we're really out in the boonies!" he admitted. "But maybe we'll get lucky and find some trainers out here or something!" Seconds later, the trail that the teens were following crossed with an old road of dirt and gravel that looked wide enough for a car to drive on. "Let's follow this!" Cody exclaimed as he stopped in the middle of the dirt road. "It looks like it might lead somewhere!"

"How do you know that?" Jared asked, frustrated with the entire situation, which Cody could tell that the older boy was blaming him for. "It might just lead to nowhere!"

"Fine! Disagree AGAIN! I'm going with my gut on this one!" He split from the other two teens and their pokemon and sprinted down the old dirt while Antonia followed in her flight. He looked over his shoulder again to see that Jared and Heather were following him at a twenty foot distance. As he turned his head forward again, he noticed that the old road seemed to split off into more old roads, but he didn't follow them, since it would be easier for the others to follow him if he just kept running straight. After another minute of running, the old dirt road ended at a rusty iron gate of an old iron fence that encircled a large, ancient Victorian style house.

"Okay, where the hell are we?" Jared asked as Heather and him caught up, both of them having lost their breath.

"Hold on, I'll try and figure this out," Cody told him, trying carefully not to say anything that might set him off. He pulled out the map and walked over to Charmeleon so he could read it in the fire's light. "Honestly, I don't know right now, but I think we're here," he answered, pointing to a small square on the map. "It's a rural housing area by the looks of it. There are a few farms around here, but nothing much else. This must be some rich countryside estate or something." He pocketed the map and went up to the iron gate. Noticing the rusty old lock that held it together, he took off his pack and flung it over the fence. His bundled things made a crunching sound as it hit the snow covered earth on the other side.

"Um, Cody, what are you doing?" Heather asked as he grabbed the fence with his ungloved hand. The icy coldness of the metal made him cringe.

"Simple. I'm going to see if whoever lives here will let us stay the night, and since the gate is locked-"

"This is completely idiotic," Jared cut in.

"Why, oh wise one?" Cody asked, scowling. "Better than standing out here and being followed by some creepy stalker. I doubt he'd try to break into somebody's home."

"First of all," Jared began, "because hopping a fence is considered breaking in. Secondly, people are very reluctant to let trainers spend the night in their homes. You ever watch the news? People get robbed by trainers that they let in all the time. That stereotype isn't going to help us! And finally, that guy attacked us! Why wouldn't he try to break in to get to us if he had to?"

"Well, I'll try my luck," Cody said indifferently. "Enjoy standing out here in the cold, you two." Rubbing his hands together for a quick burst of warmth, he grabbed onto the fence and began to climb. Luckily, the bars didn't have a lot of ice on them, so it was easy to get over, though it took some doing. During this time, he could hear Heather and Jared squabbling about something. When he finally got to the other side, he saw that Jared's Fearow was out of her ball. The long beaked pokemon allowed Heather onto her back and she flew the brunette over the iron gates. Antonia followed the brown bird in suit.

"Changed your minds?" Cody asked as the brunette hopped off of the bird. The Fearow then flew back over the fence to pick up her trainer.

"Yeah, I convinced Jared to give you a chance on this one," she said solemnly. "You owe me."

"Yeah, thanks Heather," he said, but she didn't respond. She didn't seem too happy with either him or Jared at the moment. Seconds later, Jared joined the two, looking disgusted at what he had been talked into and the three walked up to the grand porch of the old house. Something about the old home seemed incredibly ominous. None of the lights inside were on, though that was expected, given that it was one in the morning. Even so, something about the old building made the stomachs of all three trainers flip. But Cody wouldn't let his nervousness show. This was his idea after all, and even though Jared didn't think so, he believed it was better than trying to outrun whatever maniac was after them. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited. No response.

"Nobody is here," Jared said.

"Or they haven't got out of their beds yet," Cody pointed out. He knocked again, but there was still no response.

"Well, nice try, but we aren't getting in. We better get back to the road-"

"Hey, the door's unlocked," Cody exclaimed after touching the old metal handle. He opened the door and walked in without hesitation, Antonia at his heels.

"Hey, no, no, no, no, no!" Jared shouted from the porch. "You can't just walk in! This is somebody's house! This is even more illegal than-"

"Check this out!" he interrupted. "This place looks like something out of the old world." Reluctantly, Jared and Heather followed him inside and both of them let out a small gasp of awe at what they saw. The interior of the home matched the exterior with beautifully crafted wooden furniture and floors, an elegant wooden staircase. After taking a few more steps, the candles in the chandelier and the wall burst into flames, allowing the finer details of the room to be revealed. There was a colorful ornate rug on the floor and portraits of 19th century looking figures. The modern day objects that were in the room were a telephone on a cord and few power outlets on the lower walls. However, the lighting of the candles made Jared flinch.

"Who turned on the lights?" he asked skeptically.

"Nobody," Cody answered as if the answer was obvious. "It's called motion-sensory lighting, Einstein."

"With candles?" Jared asked in the same tone that Cody had used.

"Hey, if they have the insurance to cover fire damage, I don't judge," Cody answered casually. His eyes followed the staircase to the balcony. Still no signs of life. "Hello! Is anybody here!" he called out. "We need a place to spend the night if you would allow it!" Again, there was no response whatsoever.

"Nobody is home," Jared stated. "We better get going."

"Are you kidding?" Cody asked, "this is perfect! We'll stay the night and then leave in the morning before anybody finds out. It'll be as if we were never here!"

"That's stupid! This isn't our house! We-"

"Actually Jared, I don't think anybody lives here," Heather interrupted. "Look at the furniture. Look at the floors. There's too much dust." She knelt down and dragged her index finger across the floor, piling dust on the digit. "If people lived here, there wouldn't be so much dust where they would be walking, right?"

"So what is this place? A summer home?" Cody asked, though the location didn't look very good for vacationing. "Maybe it belongs to nobody…"

"And all this furniture is just sitting here, huh?" Jared questioned suspiciously. "We should leave. Something about this place is really creepy."

"What, are you scared of the big bad house?" Cody teased. He wasn't feeling that comfortable either, but he felt the urge to push Jared's buttons again.

"No, I just-"

"Aww, is Jared afraid of ghosts? I bet there are a million ghosts in a creepy old house like-"

"Knock it off!" Jared shouted, his voice strained with anger. "I'm not afraid of ghosts, you asshole!" The overdramatic outburst shut Cody's laughter up immediately. It looked as though Jared was actually going to punch him this time, but his body relaxed when Heather touched his shoulder.

"Yeah… Antonia, go outside. You need to put in a few more hours," Cody said awkwardly to the Skarmory while giving her a gentle nudge. The young bird let out a small squawk and walked out the door as her trainer opened it. He closed it behind her and shrugged. "I'm going to go upstairs and find somewhere to sleep. I'll see you guys in the morning, assuming you do stay."

"Um, Cody, maybe we should stick together?" Heather suggested weakly. "You know… since this isn't our house-"

"No," Cody said as he felt Jared's eyes boring holes in his skull. "I think we all need some alone time. I'm going upstairs." He sidestepped away from the group and headed towards the stairs. He still needed some time to cool off, and it wasn't going to happen if Jared was in the same room. Slowly, he climbed the old staircase and took a left into the dust covered hallway, dimly lit by the torches on the wall. He opened the nearest door and peered into a poorly lit bedroom with a queen-sized four poster bed and exquisitely carved furniture. _Well, this bed is as good as any, I guess. _Still, the old house was making him feel uneasy, so he let Bastion, Mars, and Colossal out of their pokeballs. The three pokemon got settled on the bed as he set his pack and his coat on the floor next to the door. As he settled in on the top cover of the bed (he didn't want to mess up a bed that wasn't his,) he closed his eyes and tried to think of how he was going to get on good terms with Jared again, if that were even possible. If not, his days in the group were definitely numbered.

* * *

_He was sitting next to the stream where he caught Bastion, except this time, Bastion was sitting by his side. They were both watching a cluster of baby Squirtle splashing and playing in the water as the setting sun shone on the crystal clear spring water._

_ It was obviously a dream. He had become quite good at telling the difference between dreams and reality after the repeated haunting of the dark voice. But why was he here? He hadn't thought of the place where he had met Bastion in such a long time. But then again, dreaming about it felt normal. It was the place where his adventure had started after all. But something felt off, and it only took him a few seconds to figure out what it was: the Venonat. The purple-haired gnat was staring at him from across the pond._

_ "Really? I can't even find peace in the nights when that damn voice doesn't torture me?" Cody asked Bastion. The little turtle tilted his head to his trainer, as if he had something to say. But when the Squirtle opened his mouth, the only sound that came out was the ringing of a telephone._

_ "What the-"_

He groggily opened his eyes and scanned the room, though he knew that the ringing of his phone was the reason that he had come back to consciousness. _What time is it? _His pokemon were also awake now, looking slightly annoyed that they had been disturbed. Mars was scratching at Cody's pocket where his phone was. He pushed the Diglett away and pulled out the phone. The call was coming from home.

"Mom, you had to call me in the middle night?" he groaned. "What time is it anyway?"

"It's two in the morning. But you haven't called home in two weeks. Are you okay? Why didn't you answer the phone right away? Why did you-"

"I was asleep, that's what normal people do at night," he muttered into the receiver. In truth, he hadn't been sleeping at night since the night was now designated travel time, but she didn't know that. "Look, I've been okay. I'm getting better and everything. I could email you some videos if you want to see how I'm doing or-"

"Oh sweetie, I would love that, but you know I'm busy with work and everything. The hospital has been putting me on the graveyard shift, so I don't have a lot of time for anything. Send them to your father though. He's love that."

"Yeah… How is Dad?"

"He's… he's doing fine," she answered, though her voice sounded shaky. Cody wasn't good at lying, but his mother was even worse.

"Really now?" he asked doubtfully.

"Um… yes…"

"I'm not buying this," Cody told her. "Look, I understand that this is personal and everything, but I know you and Dad are fighting, and I feel like you're not taking me seriously when you lie like this."

"Cody, I'm your mother! Don't talk to me that way!" she shouted on the other end.

"What way!" he yelled back. "I'm being serious! I'm not some innocent little kid anymore!"

"Oh what, you think you're so mature now that you have pokemon and badges?" She let out an exasperated sigh. "This is how it all begins. Derrick was the same way when he-"

"Oh, not this again," Cody interrupted angrily.

"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to you, young man!" she shot back shrilly. "And how did you ever get the belief that me and your father were fighting? Did he say that to you?"

"No, Mom, please, Dad didn't say anything, I just figured it out because of what you both have been saying over the phone, and I put two and two together. Please don't yell at Dad!" He waited for his mother to respond, but he heard nothing. The battery on his phone had died. "Dammit, she's going to kill me," he groaned as he sat in a slouch on the bed. "I better find an outlet so I can recharge this thing." But when he looked up, he saw Colossal leaving the room after pushing the door open.

_Wow, that was rather bold of him._ "Hey Colossal, come back!" The Larvitar either didn't hear or just ignored him. Letting out another sigh, Cody stood up, slipped on his shoes, picked up his things, and followed the little lizard out the door, Mars and Bastion at his tail. Once outside the room, he saw Colossal wandering into a room at the other end of the hall. Cody made his way down the hall, taking glances at the portraits on the wall. Again, he had the feeling that their eyes were following him. _This place has got to be haunted._

The room that Colossal had stumbled into looked to be a private library. There looked to be over two hundred books lining the shelves, and a comfortable looking armchair next to a fireplace that was lit like the torches on the wall. It must had been automatic like the torches on the wall, though why anybody would put open flames in a room full of flammable books was beyond him. Colossal was sitting near the fireplace, staring at the collection of old books that sat before him. The little Larvitar finally felt the urge to take a book off the ground level shelving and open it. The lizard stared at the pages intently, but a frustrated appearance took over his face since he couldn't make sense of what he was looking at, given that he couldn't read.

"Rah!" Colossal cried out as he threw the book over his shoulder in anger.

"Hey, don't do that! It's not yours!" Cody snapped. He set his things down so he could pick up the book that Colossal had tossed aside. It was an ancient looking copy of Pride and Prejudice. "Eh, never mind. You did the right thing," Cody chuckled as he put the book back where it belonged on the shelf. Colossal had pulled a second book from the shelf and now, Bastion and Mars had joined him as he flipped through the pages. It was amusing watching them trying to read after all the times they had watched him do it, but they couldn't imitate the actual process.

Feeling another wave of sleepiness wash over him, Cody sat down in the armchair and watched his three smallest pokemon attempt to gain literacy. However, even that wasn't enough to distract him from the thoughts of his families, both at home and on the road with him. Obviously, the waters weren't settled among Jared and him, but the drama that existed between his parents wasn't pleasant either, especially since it was because of his journey that his parents were fighting. He could blame Derrick all he wanted for the problems that his family was facing, but was it just him? Cody knew that he hadn't been the best son, especially towards his mother. Sure, she could be unbearable, but it was only because she cared. But at this point, the tension may have reached an irreversible level. _Maybe in time things will get better…_

Whatever the case, at least he had his "pokemon family." Being animal minded pokemon, none of his five were able to communicate with him as he wished they could, but they made up for their silence with their unconditional loyalty and devotion towards their trainer. At the end of the day, if his friends abandoned him and the remainder of his family back home fell apart, at least his pokemon would be there at his side.

"Rah!" Colossal cried again as he threw the second book over his shoulder, this one titled Of Minun and Men. Cody was about to put this book back on the shelf, but he stopped himself. He was too tired to stand up, so he decided he'd let his pokemon have their fun. Tired of the books, Colossal walked over to the armchair to be near his trainer while Mars crawled under the big rug on the floor, giving into his burrowing tendencies. Bastion, however, was not finished with the books. The curious Squirtle leapt up onto a higher leveled bookshelf and began to browse through the titles.

"Hey, be careful," Cody said, "I don't want to have to reshelf the entire collection." He wasn't all that worried though, given that Bastion wasn't as destructive as some of his other pokemon, but a new source of worry was ready to emerge as Bastion pulled out the thickest book on the shelf. The moment the book was off the shelf, an ear piercing cheer burst from where the book was sitting.

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" screamed a collection of voices as a almost a dozen small figures burst from the space. As they flew out in a burst, Bastion was knocked off his feet and off the shelf. The little figures swirled around the room for a few seconds before landing on the floor in front of the trembling Cody and his three frightened pokemon.

"Holy shit, this house _is _haunted!" Cody whispered in fear.

"Hehehehehehe!" the little figures laughed. The little ghosts that sat before him were giggling like children… at least he thought they were ghosts, given that all of them had flown out of one small space in the bookshelf. The little specters looked like candles with tiny lit flames on their heads.

_Where have I seen these pokemon before? _Slowly, Cody leaned over and reached for his pack, not taking his eyes off of the candles, lest they attack him. He found his hand book and after flipping around, he found what he was looking for.

_Litwick are ghost pokemon that take the form of candles. The species didn't exist until the early twelfth century in France when a local variety Gastly permanently took to a new physical form by fusing themselves with candles. Thus, a new line of ghost species came to be and has been evolving ever since. They are birthed from invisible spiritlings that absorb the excess life force attached to a soul a recently deceased being, fueling their flames for up to two centuries. Being that Litwick are only young ghosts, they only are able to feed on external the energy of a person's life force for sustenance, which is easily replenished with rest._

_ Litwick typically live in cemeteries and dwellings nearby said cemeteries since such places have lingering traces of life energy for them to feed on. However, Litwick and their evolved forms can be found almost anywhere, so long as there are living beings to feed on nearby._

"Hmm, how about that," Cody said to himself as he closed his book. The Litwick had grown bored with him and his pokemon and had began to whimsically float around the room, giggling to each other. For ghosts, the floating candles didn't seem all that spooky, though from what he had heard, they would become much more scary once they evolved. However, that didn't make them any less interesting to watch. For one thing, they all looked quite different from each other, despite having similar bodies. The coloring of each Litwick was slightly different, varying from white to cream to yellow (and one was even black.) But even more interesting was the color of their flames. The flame of each Litwick was a different color, creating a multitude of different colored dancing lights in the room. He felt it would be a good idea to alert Heather and Jared of this discovery, but after the night he was having with them, he decided this would be an experience he would keep to himself.

By this point, Bastion had gotten his nerve back and had gone back to looking at the many books on the shelf. Mars had also lost his fear and was now angrily squeaking at the ghosts that he must have believed were taunting him. But Colossal was still shivering as he clutched his trainer's leg.

"Really Colossal?" Cody laughed as he pat the lizard's horn. "After all we've been through, you're afraid of a couple of harmless ghosts? I can't wait to see you when you evolve. I've never seen a Tyranitar that was afraid of its own shadow." Cody chuckled again before leaning back in the chair. "Oh well. Maybe you'll be less afraid of ghosts if you're exposed to them more, and this is a good place to start. Seriously, this house may be a little bit creepy, but it's not _that _scary." But he spoke too soon.

_"Fools!" _a voice echoed in the room, causing Cody to sit straight up in shock. _"Why have you come to this place!" _All of Cody's pokemon froze in place at this new anomaly and looked up at the ceiling as if the voice came from there. The Litwick reacted more dramatically, letting out a scream in unison and flying back into the bookshelf where they had come from. Whatever being had posed the question was apparently scary enough to scare the ghosts themselves. _"But it's okay. Now that you're here, you never have to leave again!" _

"Who's there?" Cody called out nervously. There was no answer. But seconds later, he heard another voice from the hallway.

"Cody! Help!" Heather shouted from somewhere far away. "I'm locked in this closet! Help!"

"Heather?" Cody cried out in reply. He sprung out of his chair and ran to the hallway. "Guys, get out here!" His pokemon broke from their fear and joined him in the doorway. A pounding noise resonated from the door at the end of the hallway. _Don't worry, I'll get you out of there._ But as he ran down the hallway, something didn't seem right and he was about to run right into it.

**To be continued…**


	22. Chapter 22: The Brave and the Brash 2

**Sorry this took me so long. Finals + Team Fortress 2 addiction + Computer Virus = less writing.**

**Answering some questions. First of all, some people have been wondering why Jared's lineup is always changing. I haven't explained that well, so I'll do it here. Jared, being a trainer for much longer than Cody and Heather, currently has 10 pokemon that he switches in and out. Hope that helps.**

_The only problem i have is that Cody seems to be wining ALL his battles. i get he gets his talent due to his father and watching his frinds battle but still. Also i would love if you went into depth of heather's battles. You know how you said pidgy evolved? How did it evolve and what made it? _

**The thing is that battle scenes are really hard to write, so I try to keep them relevant to the plot rather than writing every little battle. Now Cody is a talented trainer, but he has lost before (and more than the battles that I've written out where he loses) but I only write in losses when it's relevant to the plot development. As for Heather… I get it that she's the token female of the group that some of the female readers like, but since she isn't the focus of the story, I did that evolution off screen. It's very hard to focus in on three trainers and all of their pokemon at once.**

* * *

**Chapter 22: The Brave and the Brash (Part 2)**

"Okay Heather, I'm gonna get you out of there," Cody said as he jiggled the handle on the outside of the closet. It was locked. "How'd you get stuck in here?"

"I don't know, it just locked!" Heather shouted from the other side. "Just get me out of here! I hate small places!"

"Okay, hold on," he pulled back on the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Heather, try pushing on the other side." He kept pulling on the door while jiggling the handle. Seeing their trainer struggle with the door, Bastion, Mars, and Larvitar grabbed at the lower portions of the door and began to pull. Suddenly, the door flew open and they all flew backwards.

"Heather?" Cody asked. He couldn't see what was in the closet, but it didn't look like there was any movement. "I must be going crazy."

It was then when a powerful blast of wind flew down the hallway towards the open closet. The wind was so strong, it carried Cody and his three pokemon the closet. "Holy fuck!" Cody screamed over the howling gust as his monsters and he crashed into the tiny closet and the door slammed behind them.

* * *

Heather woke up from a light sleep as she heard a creak in the walls. Suddenly alert, she glanced around the parlor that she had been sleeping in, only to see noting but old furniture and the eerie looking paintings on the wall. She was about to close her eyes so she could go back to sleep, but she noticed that Jared was still up. He was sitting on the sofa with his arm crossed, looking as though he was deep in thought. She had a pretty good guess about what was bothering him, given that he had a tendency to hold grudges. She stood up from the armchair she was sitting in and joined him on the sofa, trying not to wake up Somnos, who was sitting near her feet.

"You alright?" she asked, though the answer was written all over his face.

"No," he answered in a grumble.

"Look, maybe you should get some sleep while we're he-"

"I don't feel comfortable sleeping here. I barely feel comfortable breaking into somebody's house, so…" His voice trailed off at the end of that comment. He obviously wasn't in the mood to chat.

"Look, I know what this is about-"

"I'm not traveling with him anymore," Jared said, interrupting Heather a second time.

"Jared-"

"He's arrogant, he's an asshole, and he pisses me off so much. I can't take it anymore."

"Jared…" Heather began again, "you're right. Cody is a jerk sometimes, but he's a good person at heart, and you know that. Please just get some sleep so you can think about this. For me?"

"No, not happening. I don't even know why you like hanging out with him. Name one redeeming quality about the guy! Just one!"

"Um… He's friendly most of the time… not when he's fighting with you, but otherwise…" She stopped to think some more. "And he's the reason I even left home on this adventure. And if I didn't leave home, I would have never met you." She kissed Jared on the cheek, but he didn't respond to it at all.

"Whatever you say, but now he's a nuisance. After we get to the next town, I say we split up from him," Jared suggested. "I'm not putting up with this anymore."

"Jared," Heather sighed, "I tried to be fair about this, but… Look, the reason you and Cody fight so much is partly your fault."

"What? You can't be serious!" Jared said loudly. "How is any of it my fault!"

"Stop shouting and listen," Heather snapped. "Cody has proven himself to be a capable trainer thus far and he hates being talked down to. So when you say stuff like 'you're not experienced enough to raise a fire pokemon,' or 'you don't need a fire pokemon,' it's just going to piss him off. He's a big boy, Jared. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"That's debatable," Jared muttered to himself, though he was able to see where Heather was coming from. "Look, are you saying that I _shouldn't_ speak my mind?"

"Over petty things like whether or not Cody can raise a fire pokemon, yes, maybe we should just keep our mouths shut. But once said fire pokemon burns down our tents, then we can yell at him. Sound fair?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jared grumbled. "I still don't want to travel with him."

"Just give him another chance? For me?" Heather pleaded while giving him puppy dog eyes. "He's a good guy..."

"Fine, fine," Jared groaned, "but only because you asked. And don't expect us to be best buddies or anything."

"Thanks hun," she said as she squeezed Jared in a tight hug. "This means a lot to me."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. There was another creak in the old house which caused both teens to jolt in their seats. "Man, this place is creepy. Cody couldn't have picked a younger house?"

"Yeah, it is pretty scary," Heather agreed, squeezing tighter her boyfriend. Then, she began to think about the last time Jared had yelled at Cody for teasing him about the house. "Hey Jared, can I ask you something personal?"

"Go ahead," he replied.

"Are you afraid of… um… ghosts?"

A surprised look sprung onto Jared's face, but he switched to a neutral one in seconds. "I'm not talking about that."

"It's just, I noticed you seemed really upset when he mentioned ghosts. Do you have some issues with ghosts or whatever?" she asked delicately so he wouldn't get upset.

Jared let out a long sigh and then rested his forehead in his palm. "You're not going to give up, are you? I guess… Yeah, I don't like ghosts. Just the sight of them pisses me off."

"But I don't understand," she confessed, "I've seen you battle ghosts before, and you've never seemed afraid of them or anything."

"I'm not going to tell other random people what to do with their lives. It's just that I want nothing to do with them."

"Why?" Heather asked. "Or would you rather not say?"

"Heather…" Jared began again before beginning another pause to figure out what he needed to say, "I told you how my father died, didn't I?"

"Alcohol poisoning, right?" she asked. "I remember you saying-"

"That's not the whole story," he said, interrupting her. "The night he died, he was drunk out of his mind. I remember him and Mom fighting about something trivial before he stormed out in a rage. The police found him dead the next day in some back alley in the city."

"But… if it wasn't the alcohol, what was it?" she asked.

"There was a homeless man that talked with the cops about what happened that night. Apparently, Dad staggered into the alley, screaming about how he just didn't care anymore and that wanted to die." He paused again and shook his head. "I wish I could have been there for him. Maybe if…" Another pause. "According to the homeless man, when he started screaming all that stuff, a Chandelure descended from an old building, its flames burning brightly… The Litwick family line feeds on the life energy of people and pokemon, but Chandelure are capable of absorbing a person's or pokemon's entire spirit if they victim willingly gives it up, and so, they roam in search of desperate people who just want out… I guess you can figure out what happened next."

"Holy… that's awful…" Heather whispered.

"Yeah… but that's why I don't like ghost pokemon. Something about them seems so… so wrong … I mean, when you see a Yamask, there's a piece of somebody's soul that makes up that pokemon. Every ghost pokemon has a piece of something that was once living inside of it, and that… that's just sick if you ask me. So yeah, I was really pissed when Cody brought up ghosts. Maybe I overreacted, but I just don't want to have to deal with the thought of them, you know?"

"I understand," Heather replied. "I bet Cody would too if he knew."

"You give him too much credit," Jared responded, rolling his eyes.

"I think he would. Maybe you should explain it to him and then he'll understand. No secrets, remember?" she reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll think about it. Still, I don't know if-"

"Holy fuck!" somebody screamed. It came from the upstairs and echoed on the first floor.

"What the hell was that!" Jared bellowed as he sat up straight as a reaction to the noise.

"It sounded like Cody!" Heather gasped. "It sounds like something is wrong! Come on, we need to find him!"

* * *

Seconds after being sucked into the closet, Cody pulled his face off the ground and rose to his knees. _What the hell was that? _He rubbed his head with one hand and felt around with the other, only to find that there was nothing to grab onto. _Wow, this closet is pretty big. _But when he opened his eyes, he saw that he definitely was not in a closet. Rather, it looked like he was standing in a gray, infinitely large room. _Where am I?_

"Rup, rup!" Cody looked down to see Bastion tugging on his jeans as if to ask his trainer the same question he was asking himself. Meanwhile, Mars was running around in circles, looking for something to burrow in while Colossal was cowering in a fetal position. But something was wrong with how everything looked since everything, including Cody and his pokemon, was colored in grayscale.

"What is this place?" Cody muttered to himself.

_[This! This place, this house, and everything in it, including yourself, is mine!] _The voice seemed to contain a thousand voices speaking in unison. But where was the sound coming from?

"Who are you?" Cody shouted. This whole situation was beginning to spook him since it seemed so much like the nightmares he had.

_[I have many names. One hundred and eight names to be exact. But you will come to know them all in time.]_

"What do you want!"he screamed.

_[Your soul!] _From the grayness in the room rose a strange looking stone, and out of the stone burst a cloud of purple that seemed to be unaffected by the surrounding grayscale. In the center of the cloud was a wicked looking pair of green eyes and a large grinning mouth. _[Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Take your pick!]_

_Where have I seen this pokemon?_ But the answer soon sprung to his mind when he recalled an old documentary he once watched. The pokemon was a Spiritomb: one of the rarest pokemon on Earth, made up of a multitude of human souls. He didn't know much else about the ghost pokemon, but by the looks of things, it looked like it wanted to keep him around for whatever reason.

_[Join me, and you can live forever as one of my many-]_

"I don't think so. Let us out, or we'll force you to." At those words, Mars and Bastion went to stand in front of their trainer, but Colossal was now hiding behind his legs in fear.

_[Very well. You shall enjoy a slow and painful death!] _Put of the purple ghost came several black pulses of energy, knocking Cody and his pokemon over. The after shock of the Dark Pulse had a strange secondary effect on him besides the immediate pain. He felt an unending hopelessness grow in his gut. _[Wallow in your despair!]_

"Bastion, Water Gun!" Cody yelled over the feeling of impending doom. The turtle leapt over another dark blast and sprayed a stream of water at the stagnant ghost. The water hit the Spiritomb straight in the face, but it didn't seem to be that hurt from the blast; an advantage of being an insubstantial pokemon. The Spiritomb then blew an Ominous Wind, sending Bastion backwards, but this gave Mars a chance to try and tackle the ghost, only to faze right through the gaseous ghost. Cody quickly figured that there was no use in the Diglett even trying to fight the ghost in this dimension since there was no ground for him to burrow in, making his situation equivalent to that of a fish out of water.

"Mars, this isn't your fight! Return!" Cody returned the helpless mole to his pokeball and then took out Elesa's. "Let's go baby girl! Flame Charge!" The beautiful horse let out a loud whinny and let her front body burst into light flame. The Zebstrika laid a furious flaming smack on the ghost, but was pushed back by another one of the Spiritomb's blasts. It then blasted Bastion away as he let out a perfectly aimed Water Pulse. It seemed like no matter what Cody's pokemon did, the Spiritomb just wouldn't show an inch of weakness.

_[You are quite brave, young trainer. I could use a brave soul such as yours in my vessel. It's a shame that you think you have a chance of defeating me.]_

"Shut up!" Cody shouted as his mind twisted and turned in order to find a way to defeat the Spiritomb. It seemed like it was taking _some_ damage from the attacks that Elesa and Bastion had delivered thus far, but at this rate, it wouldn't be long before they were completely drained of energy. _This thing just has to have a weakness. If only I can figure it out. Oh, why the hell did I leave my guidebook in that room? _"Elesa, Spark!"

The angry zebra let out another neigh and charged the Spiritomb again. The ghost retaliated by shooting a purplish beam from its center, but Elesa jumped up into the air an crashed where the ghost stood.

_[EEEEEEAAAAAAAAUUUGHHH!] _The spirit screamed in pain as it threw Elesa back again. But Cody was astounded.

_What the hell? How did it get hurt that-… The stone! It's gotta be the stone! _"Bastion, Iron Tail to the stone that the ghost is coming out of!" With a grunt, the Squirtle dodged another Ominous Wind and with an incredible vertical leap, it laid down an Iron Tail to the ghost's center stone.

_[AAAAUUUUGHH! This is not possible. But in SPITE of this setback, I shall not lose!] _The Spiritomb was cackling now as it cast a reddish light onto Bastion's body, though Bastion didn't seem hurt by this development.

"Get him with another Iron Tail! Elesa, get ready to charge when Bastion's out of the way!" The turtle hurdled into the air again, ready to smack the Spiritomb once more, but this time, his tail didn't glow silver as it smacked the stone. _Wait, why didn't it-_

Right after the Spiritomb shot Bastion away, Elesa landed another Spark on the opponent, but just as she hit, she began to glow red too, and her body stopped fizzling with electricity. Whatever the ghost had just done, it had drained Elesa and Bastion of the energy needed to perform those specific moves.

"Get out of there and attack from afar!" Cody screamed over the Spiritomb's laughter. After making a hasty retreat, Bastion sprayed the rock with a Water Gun and Elesa blasted it with a Shock Wave. The combined attack brought severe pain to the purple ghost as it let out another shriek.

_[Y__ou don't know true pain! None of you! Let me show you, Cody Storm! Share my pain!] _The ghost shot a strange looking green beam at Cody, but Elesa leaped in front of it to protect her trainer. When the green beam hit her, she let out a scream like nothing Cody had ever heard out of her before. At the same time, the Spiritomb seemed to be re-energized by this attack. The Pain Split had worked perfectly… or so it thought.

While attacking Elesa, Bastion had positioned himself behind the foe and launched a horizontal Aqua Jet at the basin of the ghost. The impact of the Squirtle's shell was enough to send the Spiritomb skidding across the ground to where Cody stood.

"Rah!" Colossal shrieked as it clawed up Cody's back and onto his trainer's shoulders and used Harden in fear.

_[Hah! Your pokemon has only brought us closer together! Now I shall AUGH!] _The Larvitar had accidentally fell off his trainer's shoulder, and landed horn first on the ghost, piercing the basin stone. The Spiritomb's gaseous body was beginning to fizzle out, but it was still preparing another Dark Pulse. But before it could release the attack, Elesa stomped on the stone of the ghost with a strong hoof. _[Nooooooo!] _And just like that, the purple fog that made up the Spiritomb's body dissolved, leaving only the stone behind.

"Well that was anti-climactic," Cody muttered to himself. "All it took was your horn?" he asked Colossal. "You need to buck up and fight next time, buddy," he said as he pat the frightened Larvitar's horn.

"Neeeiii…" Elesa cried in pain as she bent her knees.

"And you did beautifully too, girl. Return." He called her back into the pokeball. All that remained in the monochrome room was Bastion (who was breathing heavily), Colossal, the stone which the Spiritomb resided in, and himself. "Now how do we get out of here?" There didn't seem to be any conceivable exits in the endless fields of gray.

He sighed as he sat down, cross-legged, next to the stone. Inquisitively, he picked up the stone and eyed it as dark thoughts sprung in his mind. The rock contained a very powerful pokemon inside of it. _This Spiritomb was pretty tough. When I figure out how to escape, I should take this with me. If I can capture this ghost pokemon, I would kick so much ass, it wouldn't be fun-_

_[No! I shall never be enslaved by the likes of you! Never!] _the ghost's voice roared. The stone floated from his hands into the air and a burst of purple energy exploded from the stone and the force of the blast sent Cody and his pokemon upwards into the grayness. Suddenly, the color came back and he found himself and his pokemon laying in a clump on top of Jared, Heather, and what he believed to be Somnos, but he couldn't tell for sure.

"Cody, what the- Why the heck were you doing in that closet!" Jared shouted, "You scared us half to death!"

"It was, I was, there was-" Cody began to sputter as he stood up and went back to the door in a flustered stagger. But when he opened the closet, he saw that there was nothing inside except a pile of old boxes. "It was in here! We were fighting a ghost in-"

"Is this some kind of joke?" Jared roared, "there's nothing here!"

"What, do you think I beat up Bastion myself!" Cody shot back.

"He's right, Jared," Heather added as she knelt next to the Squirtle, "Bastion has some fresh bruises on his face. He was definitely just fighting something."

"But…" Jared stuttered, "in a closet that-"

"Forget the stupid closet," Cody yelled as he kept looking around, "this place is crawling with ghosts. I'm getting out of here. I'd rather take my chances with that psychopath that was sent after us outside."

"But Cody-"

"You can 'But Cody' me once we get out of here," he said to Heather. "You two grab your stuff and meet me in the entrance room. I have to run to the library where I left my stuff." Without waiting for a response, he dashed down the hallway with Bastion at his heels. Colossal had climbed back up onto his back and was quaking with fear. _Geeze, now's the time to grow up and be brave for once!_

Once he got to the library, he scrambled to put on his shoes and slung his pack and jacket over his left shoulder before leaving the room and practically skipping half of the steps as he ran downstairs. Jared and Heather were already there with their things, but they both looked bewildered at the situation, and Jared's bewilderment was mixed with anger.

"This is crazy," he said as if he was picking up where he had left off upstairs. "Why should we believe that this place is haunted, just because you say it is!"

"And why won't you just trust me for once! Let's go before this place gets any weirder." Again, not giving Jared any time to respond, he went to the front door and tried to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it!"

_[You thought you could get away from me that easily? You may have defeated me, but my comrade shall be the end of you! You will wish you that you had agreed with me! I would have given your body a painless death, but he won't be a sweetheart. Enjoy!]_

An eerie stillness overtook the room. At this point, Cody saw that both Heather's and Jared's faces were both filled with terror. "Is there another door out of here?" he asked.

"Uh…" Jared stalled, "what was that-"

"IS THERE ANOTHER DOOR!" Cody screamed angrily. _Believe me now, you douche?_

"… there's one in the kitchen that leads to the backyard…" Heather muttered softly.

"Well, lead the way," he said. Heather walked through a doorway near the stairs with Somnos by her side, and the others followed them. The kitchen looked completely unfitting compared to the rest of the house, with quite a few modern appliances.

"There it is," she said while pointing.

"Good, let's get out of here before whatever else is in this house attacks," Cody said in a gasp of excitement. The group ran to the door quickly, and Cody yanked it open and held it for the others. Once they were outside, Cody was about to follow before the door slammed shut on its own. "What the-" He grasped the handle of the door and began to yank on it, but he received an electric shock that made him jump back.

"Fwahahahahahahahahahahaha!" cackled a strange figure from the center of the room. Cody slowly turned his head to see a new figure levitating just a few feet below the ceiling. It looked sort of like an orange Christmas ornament with light blue trimmings extending from its body like appendages.

Rotom… Cody didn't know much about the ghost species, except that like Spiritomb, they were exceptionally rare, and that they enjoyed sucking electricity out of manmade appliances. "Looks like we got another big one on our hands, boys," Cody muttered, but the response wasn't promising. Bastion puffed out his chest, and tried to look fierce, but the injuries that he had sustained from the Spiritomb were evident. Colossal, while still in good shape, was still cowering behind Cody at the very sight of the ghost._ Pefrect. Only Bastion is left… there's no earth in here, so I can't use Mars. There's not enough room for Elesa to fight, even if she was able to now. Antonia is outside, but she's not strong enough to face an electric pokemon anyway… Just perfect…_ "It's up to you, Bastion!"The weary turtle stepped forward and stared down the Rotom, but the enemy seemed unconcerned.

The electric ghost laughed wildly at the little turtle that stood before him. The laughter itself was enough to send shivers down the Squirtle's spine, as well as his trainer. The ghost cackled again before shooting a Thunderbolt at the Squirtle. Bastion rolled out of the way, and shot a Water Gun at the electric specter. It hit, but the ghost shook off the blast and shot another bolt at Bastion. This one hit, but Bastion refused to give in. Now limping, the turtle let a stream of bubbles fly from his mouth, however, the Rotom let out a strange squeak before phasing into the kitchen's refrigerator.

"Be ready for anything!" Cody warned. Before he even finished his sentence though, the freezer side of the refrigerator opened, and an icy cold wind blew out. Bastion dodged this, and sent a Water Pulse at the appliance, but the Rotom was too quick. It sent another Icy Wind at Bastion as he was spraying the Water Pulse, and the water froze in midair, and stiffened the turtle's body. "Get out of there!" Cody screamed, but Bastion was as stiff as a cadaver as ice crystals formed around his body. The Rotom emerged from the refrigerator and formed a gigantic purple sphere in front of its body. "Bastion!" Cody shouted again, but the frozen reptile couldn't respond. The purple Shadow Ball was released, and it launched Bastion from his statuesque form, slamming him against the kitchen's cabinetry, and knocking him unconscious.

"Return!" he said somberly. As Bastion returned to his ball, Cody glanced around for Colossal, who was nowhere in sight. _Cowardly little…_ He was unable to finish the thought as he noticed the Rotom approaching him. The electric ghost was howling with laughter as it was charging another blast, this one made of electricity rather than ectoplasmic energy. The young trainer backed against the wall as fear overtook every vein in his body _Is this really how it's going to end?_

"SKREEEEEEEEE!" A young, steel bird crashed through the window, but the Rotom adjusted its attack immediately, and electrocuted the Skarmory instead.

"Antonia!" Cody screamed, as the steel bird hit the ground. The brave bird had saved his life, but she had only bought him a few seconds of time. He recalled the bird into her pokeball.

The ghost cackled in a bone-chilling way once again. It began to charge up another electric blast, but this time, Cody had a plan for counter-attack._ If Elesa has enough energy in her, she can absorb the electric attack, and may be able to reroute the electricity back into the Rotom and overcharge him, like she did with that Manectric._ It was a long shot, but it was better than just standing there and getting fried to death. He plucked the Zebstrika's ball off his belt and waited for the right moment. If he let her out too early, the Rotom could counter with another attack and overtake the weakened horse, but if she was released too late… _In a second…_

Before he pressed the button on the pokeball, a green blur came up from behind the Rotom and slammed it crackling body into the floor. "Rah!" It was Colossal. Had he snuck away so he could attack the Rotom from behind? Or did he run away in fear, only to find his courage which brought him back to help his trainer. Cody was unsure, but he was glad that the Larvitar had returned.

"Rrrrrrrp!" the Rotom screeched as it began levitating again. It looked down at the lizard and shot a Shadow Ball at him, but the Larvitar swung his horn at the ball of energy and sliced it in half. He tried to hit the ghost with a Horn Attack, but the ghost saw the attack coming, and it made itself insubstantial. It then occurred to Cody that he was still at a huge disadvantage. Even though Colossal could handle electric attacks, he was a victim of the kitchen's environment. Like Mars, he had no access to the ground, so he couldn't whip up a sandstorm, and he wouldn't be able to stomp up a rock from underground. Even though he could physically attack the ghost, such attacks would fail more often than not.

"Cody!" Heather shouted from the window. "All the doors are locked, and we're being attacked out here! Try to get out this win-" Before she could finish her sentence, the Rotom shot an electric sphere at the teen. It missed her, but the impact of the attack sent her flying. Colossal took advantage of this, and tackled the Rotom, who's guard was down. The two landed in the sink, but only one stood up. The Rotom was gone. Cody's eyes widened.

"Colossal, get out before-" The sink exploded with a stream of gushing water and the Larvitar flew back from the blast. The Rotom phased out of the sink and sent more lightning bolts at the poor lizard. Normally, such electric attacks wouldn't hurt Colossal that much, but since he was soaking wet, the attacks were more effective. But Colossal wouldn't give up. Again, he tried to jab Rotom with his horn, but missed. The Rotom took this opportunity to phase into the oven, and almost immediately, the oven door opened, and flames burst from it straight towards the frightened Larvitar. But Colossal dodged the flames and backed up towards Cody as the Rotom reappeared. Even though Colossal had energy to spare, he was still struggling. _Hey Arceus, if you're there, I could really use some divine intervention right about now._ But something just as good came to the rescue.

"Wheeeeeeeee!" screamed a dozen high-pitched voices in unison.  
"Hey, it's you guys again!" Cody exclaimed, but the group of Litwick ignored him as they began to circle the Rotom. The electric ghost pokemon made the first attack, releasing a Discharge onto one of the floating candles.

"Ehehehehehe!" all of the Litwick chanted at once as they unleashed a collective Ember onto the Rotom, overwhelming it.  
_Perfect. I can escape through the window now,_ Cody thought to himself. But then he noticed that Colossal was gone again. _Damn it, where the hell did he go now?_ He turned his attention back to the Litwick, who were still peppering the Rotom with small bursts of fire. But the Rotom had had enough of this barrage. Letting out an angry scream, its body seemingly exploded with electricity, repelling all the surrounding Litwick. It looked furious, its eyes burning with intensity, though his frame was weak from the attacks.

But it would not be a victorious day for the ghost. Colossal appeared behind him again, this time making a successful strike with his sharpened horn. The Rotom fell to the ground. It tried to rise again, but Colossal would not allow it. He picked up the fallen ghost and performed his running body slam on the enemy. With one last cackle, the Rotom fell silent.

"Good job, Colossal!" Cody cheered, but the Larvitar didn't respond. He just stood there with his arms at his side. _Okay…_ He turned his attention back to the fallen Rotom. The Litwick were flying around in ecstasy, surrounding the fallen ghost. _I should catch it before it wakes up, _he thought to himself, remembering his missed opportunity to catch the Spiritomb._ A rare ghost pokemon would do well on my team._ He pulled an empty pokeball out of his pack and tossed it at the Rotom, but right before the ball hit, a Litwick flew in front of the shot and was captured instead. _Damn it!_ The ball hit the floor and wiggled a few times before it sealed completely. Cody was a little surprised by this occurrence. He figured that the Litwick would have escaped, but it didn't. _Oh well, Litwick are cool too, I guess_, he thought to himself, shrugging his shoulders. He remembered seeing a Chandelure in a proffessional battle once on TV, so he knew how powerful they could be.

"Cody! Are you alright!" Heather shouted through the broken window. "Get out here before any ghosts come back!"

"Coming!" he replied. He walked over to the floating Litwick and picked up the pokeball that he had captured his newest pokemon in, and looked back at Colossal, who was still standing still. "Colossal? You alright?" The lizard didn't respond. It was just staring into space, its body completely rigid. "Oookay. Return." He called his pokemon back and shook his head._ I hope he's alright…_ He took one last look at the group of dancing Litwick before heading out the window. Jared and Heather were both nearby, both of them out of breath. "What happened to you guys?"

"We were attacked by three Dusclops when we got outside," Jared explained in a wheeze. "You're right, Storm. This house is haunted. We better get going before we get attacked again."

"Right," Cody agreed. "But check it out! I caught this little guy before I left the house." He picked the Litwick's pokeball off his belt and released it into the open.

"Hehehe!" the ghost laughed as it circled around Cody and landed on his shoulder, much to his surprise.

"Check it out, it already likes me! Why couldn't Antonia be this friendly when I caught her, right?" He was disappointed that Heather and Jared were not sharing in his enthusiasm. Heather looked nervous, and Jared… well, he couldn't tell how Jared was feeling. His facial expression made him look like he could have either been enraged or scared shitless.

"Um… Cody…" Heather stuttered nervously, "maybe you should return that thing to its pokeba-"

"Why? It helped me beat that Rotom, and it seems friendly already." The Litwick giggled again and then floated in front of Cody's nose. Its waxy body was creamy yellow color, and its blue eyes had a nice contrast with the orange flame that burned on top of its head.

"Cody, please, call it back before-"

"Cody! Please tell me you're not going to keep that thing, right?" Jared interrupted. Something weird was going on with his voice when he asked the question.

"Of course I'm going to keep it!" he answered happily. "You ever see a Chandelure in battle? Those things wreck shit up, and when this thing grows up, there will be no shit left unwrecked in our si-"

"Cody, you can't be serious!" Jared shouted. He looked extremely pissed off now. "You do realize what those things are capable of?"

"Yeah, yeah, eat my soul and all that good stuff. Relax, I'll be careful. People raise these things all the time," he answered, patting the floating candle on the back, causing it to laugh at his touch.

"Jared, just let him-" Heather started, but she was cut off by Jared again.

"No! Cody, I'm asking you as politely as I possibly can to release that- that- thing before something bad happens that we'll all regret!"

"No!" Cody shouted back. "I like this Litwick, and I'm going to keep it! If you have a problem with it, you can shove your issue right up where the sun don't shi-"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Jared screamed in Cody's face. "Fine! Have your soul eaten! See if I care, you dick!" He whirled around and walked away in a huff. Cody looked at the Litwick's innocent looking face and then shifted his gaze over to Heather, who was looking down and shaking her head in distress.

"Geeze, what's with him?" Cody asked, unknowing of what Heather already knew about Jared.

"Oh, Cody," she groaned upsettedly. She knew that it wasn't completely his fault this time, since he didn't know about Jared's hatred of ghosts, but she knew that what he had said would definitely set their relationship back even further. "Let's go find Jared. I'll explain everything on the way."


	23. Chapter 23: Thin Ice

**I'll be honest with y'all… School is a bitch. I've been writing essays so much that writing for fun has become a chore. But I finally have an update! Expect more in the coming months!**

**Reviews:**

_Im a lil surprised that jared didnt make a "Cody is finally coming out of the closet" remark... then again, Jared isnt that funny._

**Really? You want me to make the most cliché joke in the book? Come on, I'm not that predictable… am I?**

* * *

**Cody**: Bastion(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Litwick

Heather: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Bella (Oddish), Trapinch

Jared: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Jolteon, Bagon, Onix

**Chapter 23: Thin Ice**

Cody couldn't help but notice how attractive the nurse working at the desk of the pokemon center was. Judging by her appearance, she looked like she was about twenty or so, so she probably was only an intern. But neither her age nor her status had any effect made no difference to the adolescent boy who had to be around Heather and Jared all day, and he felt exceptionally starved. As he approached the counter, he noticed her silver name tag spelled out "Sydney."

"So, Sydney," he said suavely as he leaned his elbow on the counter, "how are my champions doing?"

"Sir, I don't know your name," the woman said, not responding in the slightest to his tone, essentially killing any mood that Cody had been trying to set up. She swept a loose strand of dark hair out of her face and focused on his face. "Name?"

"Cody Storm. I just got a message on my phone saying that my pokemon were-"

"Okay, Storm, here you are," the nurse said as she pulled a container with his six pokeballs out. She then looked at the head nurse's report attached to the box. "According to this, they're all healthy, and your Litwick is registered. Anything you want to know specifically?"

"Actually, I have a few questions," Cody began. "First of all, my Larvitar wasn't moving when I last had him out of his pokeball. I applied a paralyze heal, but it had no effect, so I was worried-"

"He's evolving," Sydney responded, disinterest plaguing her voice.

"Evolving?" Cody asked in disbelief. For some reason, the news was like a punch to the face. "But I don't understand. Don't pokemon normally burst with light when they evolve, due to the massive cell multiplica-"

"Leave the biology to us," the nurse said, looking slightly annoyed. "Larvitar pupate when they evolve, so they build up a thicker, bluish skin, that covers their bodies. In about a week or so, he'll be a Pupitar. Until then though, you ought to keep him from battling so he can pupate properly. After that…" She looked back at her report and began to scan it, her eyes drifting from left to right at each line. "If you take care of him and give him proper nutrition, he can complete his evolution in as early as two years from now, give or take a few months. Congratulations." Her last word seemed a bit too dry to be a sincere congratulation.

"Wow, I can hardly believe that…" Cody mumbled to himself as the smile returned to his face. Two years seemed like a long way away, but he hardly ever thought about Colossal evolving. But the mention of it excited him.

"Anything else?" Sydney asked, looking like she really wanted to be somewhere else.

"Uh, yeah, one more thing," Cody said. "Can I get the report on my Litwick's registration? I just want to know the basics. Male or female, diet,-"

"It's a male, they eat life energy, and he's about twenty years old," she stated blankly, reading straight from the report. "So he'll live for another 180 years or so before his spirit burns out. You'll have this one for awhile."

"Okay…" Cody said, contemplating what he had just learned. It felt weird having a pokemon that was not only older than him, but would probably outlive him, especially since all of the monsters he owned were young when he caught them.

"Oh, and he's a gold-type Litwick," she added. "I'm not sure what that means, so you'll have to look that up on your own. I would, but I'm supposed to be off my shift. I'm only here because my relief still isn't…" She paused as she realized that by complaining, she was being unprofessional. "Look, here are your pokemon. Happy training or something."

"Thank you," Cody said as he took the pokeballs off the tray, ignoring the woman's indifference. The past few days had been rough, thanks to his issues with Jared, but his newly acquired ghost-pokemon made him feel like he was on top of the world. Though it was only a matter of time before things between him and the older boy got messy again. Their relationship was like a ticking time bomb, ready to blow at any moment.

_I'll just need to make sure I'm ready. Whether it's him or one of life's many distractions._

* * *

"I love these night walks," Cody commented cheerily as the trio and their pokemon walked along the lonesome path. It would be a day or so before they reached the next town, but even the bareness of the wilderness, combined with the cold temperatures and the tension between him and Jared couldn't get him down. All because he had a Litwick with him and the outdoors no longer felt so cold, especially when he had to stay out with Antonia.

"Speak for yourself," Jared grumbled, as he normally did. Of course, the group was still traveling at night because of the fear of the masked man who had been following them, but neither him nor his Venonat had made an appearance, so for the time being, their group had a sense of security. "Then again, you seem to be way too positive as of late for a guy who's housing a soul eating spirit."

"Hey, be nice, he's right here!" Cody couldn't actually see his Litwick, but the candle was sitting on top of his head, humming an eerie little tune as they walked. He counterbalanced the chilling song by providing his trainer with warmth. Most of the body's heat is lost through the head, so allowing the fire-ghost to sit on his skull was a nice deal. "He can understand you, you know."

"I know, and that's one of the many things that makes him a creepy little bastard," Jared muttered indignantly.

It was true. Two of the most difficult parts of training pokemon were gaining their trust and getting them to understand how to react to vocal commands. Eventually, a pokemon would come to gain a general understanding of what their trainer wanted them to do in a battle, but the build-up to that stage was tedious. Not with the Litwick however. Ghost pokemon typically had human level intelligence and this little ghost pokemon didn't seem to require any vocal training. The first time Cody told him to use Ember, he performed the move instantly. Even more intricate battle commands came extremely easy to the ghost too, making his training run a bit too smoothly. He had asked a nurse at one of the pokemon centers about why this was the case and she told him that it may have had to do with the Litwick's past life. Litwick were born as invisible, soulless spirits until they found a piece soul to manifest. The soul that he absorbed when he was a spiritling may have been that of a trained pokemon, or even a trainer. It was a spooky thought, but cool nonetheless.

However, having a pokemon with that much intelligence posed its problems. Ghost pokemon that weren't psychotic (such as the Spiritomb in the old haunted house) still had a stereotype for being pranksters, and this Litwick was not proving this stereotype wrong at all. Whether it was stealing food, hiding belongings, or just plain scaring the trainers and their pokemon, Cody always had to keep his eye on his newest pokemon, because the little bastard was always up to something. Granted, none of his pranks were ever extremely harmful, but they didn't improve Jared's impression.

"Just remember to call that thing back if you start feeling abnormally drowsy. It'll feed off anybody, you know."

"Oh, that's not true, is it little guy?" Cody asked as he held his hand up so the little candle-ghost could hop onto it. Looking into the Litwick's blue eyes, he couldn't help but feel at ease. How could such an adorable pokemon be dangerous? He gently pat the off gold colored wax, careful not to touch the orange flame.

"By the way," Heather began curiously as she glanced over at the pair, "I remember you saying that that nurse said that this Litwick is a 'gold-type' Litwick or something like that. Did you ever figure out what that means?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that to you guys," Cody started to say, his eyes lighting up. "I asked one of the doctors at the last Center, and he had a good information. Normally, when Litwick evolve into Lampent and then later, Chandelure, their bodies usually take on a black or copper color. But occasionally, a gold-type Litwick is born. Nobody quite knows why, since it's not connected to their genetics, but-"

"Wait, ghosts have genetics?"

"Yes Heather, I don't know how that works. Ask a biologist or a medium or somebody else that knows better." He lifted his hand back to his head so the Litwick could hop back on top. The ghost could have just as easily floated there, but he decided to speed up the process. "Anyway, the theory is that a gold-type Litwick is formed when a Litwick spiritling attaches itself to…" He paused for dramatic effect before announcing in a creepy voice. "A piece of a soul of a person or pokemon that has willingly given up its life."

"Wheehehehehehehe!" The Litwick let out a shriek of giggles as it flew off his trainer's head and spiraled around gleefully, as if on cue. The trio of trainers had stopped while Heather and Jared just stared at the teen and his pokemon as if they had just told some sort of sick joke.

"Wonderful, just when I thought that that thing couldn't get any creepier…" Jared finally said, his disgust quite obvious.

"Relax, it's just a theory," Cody scoffed. "It's not like they can actually can actually test that… Well, they could, but it wouldn't be ethical." Ignoring his friends' disapproval, he looked up as high as his eyes would allow him, though he was unable to see the giggling ghost that was perched on his head. "Still, if it is true, I wonder who he was in his past life. Why did he give up his life? It's like a big mystery that-"

"Do you realize how morbid you're being right now?" Jared interrupted loudly in a shout. The vein in his temple was throbbing, but after a few seconds of deep breathing, he calmed down. "You know what? Never mind. Let's just stop for lunch or something. I really need to… need to stop." Stopping for lunch was basically the group's term for stopping at night for a quick bite, rather than an afternoon meal. The moment it was suggested, Jared set his pack down next to a tree and wandered off into the brush, his Charmeleon behind him.

"Was it something I said?" This only brought a disgusted look out of Heather.

"You are a complete moron," she groaned, clutching her forehead in the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately," he sighed in reply. Heather's actions finally made him see what he had done wrong. "Look, I really wasn't trying to-"

"Just stop talking about the ghost!" Her voice was only a few decibels above her normal speaking, but that was obvious enough to get her point across. "Look, I know you like this thing, but just stop talking about it! We've been over this a million times, and it's not going to be get better with him. You know how he is."

"Yup, stubborn as a Numel," he answered. Heather had already briefed him about Jared's problem with ghosts, much to the older boy's dislike. It made the older trainer's back-story seem twice as tragic. "I still feel bad about what I said at the haunted house," he admitted sullenly. "I really wish there is something I could do."

"There isn't," Heather stated flatly. Her expression was serious and screamed 'get that through your thick skull!' Cody hung his head in disappointment.

"Wheeeheee!" The little Litwick cheered as he shot off Cody's head like a firework and began to spin around between the two trainers. The energy in his flight was enough to bring a sense of joy and wonderment back into the two trainers, despite the dire conversation they just had. Even though the two had seen the little ghost act this way before, it was still a mood lifter. Cody could see the evidence of this in Heather as well, as she grinned from ear to ear at the candle's antics. This grin soon turned to laughter.

"He is cute though, I'll him that," she giggled. "Have you thought of a good name for him yet?"

"Hmm… nickname." He had been considering the prospect for awhile and he had come up with a few ideas, but he still wasn't completely sure. But being on the spot made began to rush the progress forward. "I've been running a few ideas through my head… El Dorado, Cortez, Midas, Doubloon-"

"Those are all gold names," Heather interrupted, picking out the pattern before his friend could finish. "You're really running with this gold thing, aren't you?"

"Well yeah, I mean, look at him," Cody gestured towards the floating candle, which was now hovering around the trees near where Antonia was perched. The young bird did not like the newest addition to the team, and she gave an angry squawk at the ghost that carelessly floated nearby. "He's a rare breed, and I- well, what would you call him?"

"Well, I like Cortez," she answered right away, sounding very sure of herself in her response. "That's a Pirates of the Caribbean thing, right?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not where it's originally from, but… sure." He didn't know enough about pirate history to explain it to her. "Look, I'm going to take a walk, okay? Gotta clear my head of all this crap."

"Sure, but don't be long. I really don't want to keep Jared waiting any longer than we have to. I'll let him know."

"Good, just make sure he doesn't run off without me, okay?" Cody laughed, though that touch of uncertainty in his voice gave away the belief that running away was a possibility that Jared could easily take. _She's wrong though. There is something I can do. I just need to find it._

* * *

It began to snow again as the lazy flakes drifted from the dark sky above to the earth below. It felt nice to break away from the group from time to time and just bask in the vast solitude that was nature, even though he was never truly alone. Six pokemon and two badges… Cody surely had jumped a lot of hurdles to make it this far. With all of the scary dreams, creepy old ladies, masked stalkers, and dysfunctional companions, nothing came easy. But maybe it would get easier soon. The nurses had told him that by early March, Antonia's armor would be battle ready, and then she would be ready for competitive battling. All the scars she had gave him in their fights would eventually pay off.

"Skreee!" The armored bird flew like a dart at a lone Rattata near the base of a tree, whose grey, winter coat had deceived Cody, as he had not seen the tiny rodent among the snow. But Antonia's eyes were much sharper than his. The tiny rat barely had any time to react before the Skarmory picked it up with its razor sharp talons. Once she landed, she held the struggling rat with her foot before reaching down with her long neck, clamping her beak around its neck, and crushing the rodent's spine with one crushing bite. Once the Rattata ended its struggling, Antonia hoisted the twitching body into the air before gulping it down in one bite. "Skreee!"

"Skreee!" Cody had been trying to imitate Antonia's call, but his voice still couldn't match the sound correctly. It did however get a shrill chuckle out of the Litwick, who spun around above his trainer's head.

"Skreee!" Antonia took to the air again and flew off into a deeper part of the woods to find more food.

_I just hope she gets back soon. I really don't need Jared riding my ass about slacking. _But he was still daydreaming of what he could do to improve their relationship. If it weren't for Heather, he would have split from the guy a long time ago… How strange it was that he was more whipped by her than Jared was.

"Heh! Heh heh heh!" Laughter burst from the thicket, but it sounded so husky and unfamiliar. Cody turned his head towards the Litwick to see that the candle looked just as baffled as he did. Unless this was another trick, the candle was clueless, and Cody could see it in the ghost's eyes.

"You- you heard that too, right?" Cody asked nervously. The candle replied with a nod before floating in front of his trainer, letting out a high pitched yell to assert his dominance over whatever was stalking them.

"Hreeee!"

"Heh! Heh heh heh heh!" In the blink of an eye, a strange and cryptic gas of purple hue blew through the thicket and in front of Cody and his ghost. The young trainer felt that familiar fear that he knew from the haunted house when he battled the Spiritomb, but the Litwick was unafraid, his flame burning brighter in retaliation with this new being. Finally in the purple gas, a black sphere emerged and opened its eyes. A toothy and devious grin spread across the anomaly's face and it began to cackle again.

_A Gastly_. The pokemon from the evolutionary line that all children feared when there was only darkness. Just the sight of a wild Gastly was enough to inspire fear, which only made it more powerful, since that was what they fed on. But while Cody began to shiver, his Litwick did not falter. Not waiting for the enemy ghost to attack, the little candle pokemon blew a flare of embers at the gaseous ghost. The Gatsly screamed in agony before turning the center of its body completely into gas and charging straight through the Litwick and Cody, knocking them both to the ground. The candle ghost pulled himself back to the air almost immediately and sent a Night Shade at the purple ghost, who parried the blast with a Night Shade of its own

Meanwhile, Cody was busy rubbing his eyes, but they still burned from the Gastly's embrace. _Damn it, purple haze is in my eyes… Shit! Why can't I think of these one liners when there are people around to hear them? _He finally recovered his vision and stood up to look on at the ghostly battle that continued in stalemate as the two ghosts kept blasting Nightshades at each other, though none of the darkening shades of black seemed to be making their mark. This Gastly was holding its own quite well. A bit too well.

"Litwick, enough with the Nightshade! That thing is reading you like a book! Try a Flame Burst!" It was a risky tactic to try, since the candle took a Nightshade head on during his approach, but it flew straight into the Gastly's cloud and exploded with flames. The noxious gasses reacted violently to the fire, creating a small explosion. The fire didn't hurt the Litwick, being a pokemon of enchanted fire, but it was enough to send the Gastly swaying in bewilderment.

"Finish it with a Hex! The burns-" Before his trainer could finish, the Litwick cut him off by chanting a small verse in some forgotten language. An eerie red light appeared in the Gastly's core, and it screamed as its burns intensified. But in an instant, its husky voice fell silent as its core dissipated in the purple gas that remained. _Did… did I kill it? No… that's just its fainted form._ Most wild pokemon would run away when they were no match to win, but here was a tough ghost pokemon sitting (or floating rather) right in front of him. By instinct, Cody took an empty pokeball from his backpack and threw it straight into the cloud's center point. The ball opened up and sucked the gas in like a vacuum before falling to the ground, wiggling once, and then sealing shut. He had just captured his seventh pokemon.

"Excellent work, Litwick." He pat the candle right below the flame, producing a tiny, tired giggle from the ghost, who seemed so happy to have pleased his master. Cody knelt down and picked up the pokeball, but for some reason, he felt a strange pleasure flow through his veins. He was technically breaking the law by having seven battling pokemon in his possession at once. Most countries had a six pokemon limit for trainers. Apparently, it was a crime deterrent, but he wasn't sure the exact reasoning behind it. Probably just to keep people from being too dangerous. However, since trainers caught pokemon all the time while having six in their party, there was a grace period for them to bring their new members in to be registered.

"Another team member. Looks like you're no longer my only ghost," Cody chuckled, stroking the Litwick's waxy hide. The candle made a huffy-looking face at this comment and grunted. Apparently, he didn't like his uniqueness being stripped from him.

"Oh come now, you're still special to me," Cody pleaded, though the Litwick still looked like he was going to cry burning tears. "It was right there! I had to catch it! I'm not just going to not use it! Gengar are wickedly tough and-" He caught his tongue mid-sentence as a thought had jumped in the middle of his mind. Perhaps this Gastly would solve one of his many problems. A smile emerged on his face, and he began to walk, motioning for the pouty Litwick to follow him. "Never mind buddy. Let's find Antonia. I need to do something before I change my mind."

* * *

"It's about time you got back. That was an abnormally long time for going for a walk." Jared was in a mood as bitter as chocolate from the cold and from Cody, and these little deterrents were not helping. When announcing his displeasure, he caught a pleading look from Heather that screamed "please don't make this into a big deal." If weren't for her, he would never have spent more than a minute with that little douche bag. His girlfriend really was the glue that held the group together.

"Sorry bro, you know Antonia. She needs a lot of food, and these woods don't have a lot of rodents in them." His Skarmory landed at her trainer's side and let out a squawk. She was near enough for Jared to smell her bloodstained breath. The little Litwick sat on its trainer's head, looking innocent as he always did. He didn't buy it for one second.

"Whatever. And I'm not your bro," Jared reminded the blond. _Just stop talking._ His Charmeleon was looking indignantly at Cody now. It seemed that it had taken a similar opinion of the boy that his trainer had.

"Okay, okay," Cody sighed, though he had an obnoxiously eager grin on his face. "Hey, I was thinking: I never got you a Christmas present, so I got you something I think you might like."

_Is it a restraining order? _"Cody," Jared started in a tired tone that matched the night, "what could you possibly find in the woods that I would like?"

"This." The younger trainer handed Jared a pokeball. "I caught you a pokemon."

"You… you caught me a pokemon…" Tired disbelief was evident in his voice. It was way too late for this game. "Why… what did you catch?"

"Open it and see." Suddenly, Cody's face grew more serious. "But before you yell at me for what I caught, I want to explain myself, alright?"

"Explain yourself? What- what the hell did you catch that would make me yell at you?" Jared questioned with obvious suspicion. "Is this some kind of joke? Did you catch me a dead Magikarp or something?"

"No, I'm not that heartless. Just open it." Cody's tone had shifted into nervousness as he put his hands in his pockets. Whatever was in the pokeball was making him very uncomfortable. Disclaimers from Cody were never good. Taking a deep breath, he opened the ball into the clearing. From the flash of light, a strange purple cloud formed, a black orb floating in its center. The orb opened its big eyes and fanged mouth and let out a deep voiced laugh that seemed to make the winter air even colder.

"You caught him a… a Gastly?" Heather asked in fear as she embraced for the oncoming shouts.

"You caught…" In an intense few seconds, Jared felt as if all the blood in his body flowed to his head as he opened his mouth to shout. "What the hell, Cody! You know I hate that Litwick of yours! I hate ghosts! Why would I want a Gastly, you idiot!"

"Look, I thought it might help!" Cody pleaded. "I know you don't like ghosts, so-"

"So why in God's name did you bring me one!" Jared roared.

"I wanted to help!" Cody answered honestly. "I wanted to make up for all the trouble I caused and I thought maybe having a ghost pokemon would help you get over-"

"Maybe I don't want to get over my problems!" Jared interjected in a rage comparable to that of a Gyarados. "You ever think of that, you asshole? Do you ever think at all, for that matter!"

The silence in the air was thick as the three teens just stared at each other with varying expressions: Cody looking distraught, Heather looking hopeless, and Jared holding an expression that was mixed between hatred and disgust. All their pokemon looked concerned, as if they had a general idea about the conversation… except for the Ghastly, who just chuckled. It didn't seem to care whatsoever.

"Fine…" Cody finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "If you don't want it, then release it. Or trade it or sell it on the GTS. I just wanted to make things better… I'm sorry-"

"Too late! I'm done with you! Have fun becoming a champion, you insensitive little-"

"Jared! Please-" Heather piped in, though her voice was drowned out immediately.

"Come on, Heather. Forget this loser. I'm sick of him holding me back," he demanded. "We don't need him."

"Jared, I know you're mad now, but I don't want to leave-"

"Then stay with him! It's either him or me Heather! Who's it gonna be?" Jared started up again, his voice returning to the shout he had been using.

"Jared-"

"Who!"

"Fuck off Jared, don't yell at her!" Cody jumped in the shouts. "She didn't do anything. If you want to pick a fight, I'm right here!"

"You know what, that's the smartest thing you've said all night." Jared dropped his pack and faced off against Cody, calling the attention of both Antonia and Litwick as they looked at your aggressor. "Call your pokemon back, and we'll settle this right now!"

"Fine by me," Cody replied, smirking. "I thought you'd never ask." He pulled Antonia's pokeball from his belt, but he was stopped as Heather stood between the two boys.

"Stop it!" She turned to Jared. "Can we talk? Now?"

"Give me a minute. Two minutes tops. I need to settle-"

"Now!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him over into the trees, making sure to shoot a look at Cody that said "Stay." Once the group was separated, she turned back to her boyfriend. "This is pointless, Jared."

"Yes, this is! Let me go back and show that little twerp how I really feel about his scrawny, little-"

"No Jared, you're not going to fight him! That won't prove anything! Can't you just-"

"Oh my God, who's side are you in!" he roared. "He knows that I hate ghosts, yet he brings one to me! He's an idiot!"

"Yes, he is," Heather agreed, not avoiding the truth. "But in his own stupid way, he was just trying to help. Can't you just-"

"No! Why should I? He's so damn insensitive! I don't want his help! I've _never _wanted his help!"

"So you want to remain afraid of ghosts?" Heather asked, her voice quiet enough that nobody but the two of them could hear.

"No… I don't want to…" Jared reasoned, nervously touching his forehead as he tried to construct a logical answer. "But I don't want a Gastly, and I don't want Cody's help."

"But why?"

"Because… look, I don't want to talk about this. I hate that he feels like he has to save me or whatever! I wish he'd just leave me alone! You don't see me getting up in his business about his older brother, or his parents or anything like that-"

"Shut up, he can hear you!" Heather hissed, though Cody didn't seem that shaken. Obviously, the younger boy had already accepted that Jared's family issues surpassed his own in complexity, so the mention of them didn't bother him.

"I don't care if he hears me!" Jared shot back in a softer, but still striking voice. "I don't care about him at all!"

"Well, that's too bad," Heather replied sadly, "because he obviously cares about you."

Silence. Heather looked on as Jared's facial expressions contorted from anger to sadness to confusion as he processed what she had said. Finally, he questioned it.

"How do you figure?" he asked intently.

"Jared, he caught that Gastly in an attempt to help you, not harm you. It was a dumb move on his part, but he had good intentions. So can't you just accept that he was trying to be nice? If you don't want the Gastly, just trade it for something on the GTS. It's yours now anyway. You don't have to train it…"

Jared glanced over at Cody and sighed. _You moron… why am I know longer mad at you as I should be? I don't get it… _Then he looked over at his Gastly and cringed. The gassy ghost had a creepy smile as it stared back at him. He would have loved to just leave it there, but a pokemon was a pokemon, and somebody would want it, even if it wasn't him. It was like leaving a hundred dollar bill on the ground.

"Cody," Jared said as he walked up to the blond trainer, "we've done some talking, and we've come to a decision: you're an idiot."

"Well I kind of already figured that you thought that about-"

"Shut up," Jared shot, immediately silencing the younger trainer. "Because Heather likes you so much, I forgive you... Again. I guess I will accept this Gastly from you, but I'm trading it for something less creepy once we get to the next town."

"Okay, that's fair. It's your-"

"Don't think this means we're cool, because we're not," Jared whispered low enough so that Heather couldn't hear. His face seemed so absent of emotion as he warned Cody, which was rare for him. "This is your last chance. And if you blow it, I'm leaving this group, whether Heather comes with me or not. Understood?"

"Yes," Cody replied coldly. He handed the Gastly's pokeball to the older trainer and forced an awkward smile on face.

"Good. Let's get going. We've wasted too much time here." Jared called the Gastly back to its pokeball, and the three trainers and their pokemon left for the road again. For some reason though, Jared was already beginning to regret his decision to travel with Heather and Cody. After stating that Cody was holding him back, the words erupted a million thoughts about his traveling companions. _Are they… no, he… is he holding me back? Maybe I should leave. I like Heather, but I'm not out here for a relationship. There are things that are more important. Remember why you came out here. Dina needs me. _He glared at Cody, who was trying to avoid eye contact with him at the moment, and for good reason. _Your intentions may be good, but you're walking on thin ice, Cody Storm. _And the metaphorical ice would only get thinner as the real ice began to disappear.

* * *

_[Couldn't we have been __stationed somewhere else? Like Orre? I bet it's warm there. These mountains suck.] _Isaac shivered as his trainer and him got off the bus. The temperature of the mountains had made him miss the mainland. It was the middle of the day, and it must have been ten degrees Fahrenheit below zero.

"You don't want to live in Orre. That place is a lawless cesspool," Frank answered as he looked around the streets that he stepped on. The people of Firnborn City were all bundled up like eskimos, and he felt a little bit naked in comparison, only wearing a brown overcoat and scarf. Also, his head was freezing where his hair was shaven off. _I need a hat. _"Welcome to the Frostscar mountains. The next step of our adventure!" he announced, though his enthusiasm fell on deaf ears.

_[Whatever. If that Regice isn't here, I swear to Arceus that somebody is going to die a slow and painful-]_

"I really hope you didn't just transmit that thought to everybody," Frank warned gravely in an out of character voice. "This is top secret."

_[Relax, my IQ is far beyond yours, human.] _Isaac scoffed. _[Can we get some coffee? I need a fix, badly.]_

"I knew I should never had introduced you to caffeine," Frank sighed. "We'll find a Starbucks or something and then you'll be relieved, you big baby."

_[Damn right, you better find a Starbucks!] _the mime replied, frustration ensuing in his thoughts. _[Let's go. My ass is getting a freezer burn.]_

"Fine, fine." The two began to walk and Frank looked out between the gaps at the mountain range around them. Skitrex had many beautiful mountain ranges, but this one had quickly became his favorite. The icy blue peaks reflected the sun, making them glitter, even at a distance. Somewhere in these mountains, a lonely Arcticuno was flying, but if Father Ezekiel was correct, another rare pokemon resided here. Why they needed it? He was unsure. But life was just one big puzzle that he had the intention to solve. Maybe the Father's new world would repay him kindly for his efforts.

_One can only dream… until it is reality._

* * *

**Another character development chapter. I feel very rusty with this story right now, but it will be getting juicier soon… I hope. R&R peeps! If you do, answer this question: What aspect of this story is most appealing to you right now? The character development of the main group, the battles, the adventure, the nightmares, the organization, or something else? Let me know. Until then… farewell.**


	24. Chapter 24: The Angels of Haven

**Fun fact: Whenever I upload a chapter, any sentence that ends in a "!_?" gets changed to a "!." I can't even express questions and exclamations in the same sentence? FFnet, you disappoint me! Every time I upload a chapter, it's something else…**

**Review Response:**

_The main reason why you are one of the best in my opinion is because you're three-dimensional. What I'm saying is that you have actually created a world of your own. Most Pokemon fics start with kid wakes up gets Pokemon wants to become Champion in a game world when they are writing a story. But you advert that your world has an actual government, more then ten towns, actual reprecussions and the internet. Everything is so three-dimensional as I said before. Cody is a good example while he does want to be champion he is very realistic about it, he know's he won't just waltz through everything. And unlike most OC's he's very, very flawed. And it's not because he's an idiot hero who goes of on his own. __**His flaws make him dislikable**__, so not everything revolves around him, and I'll say again, three-dimensional. Seriously keep it up!_

**I liked this review, but that one comment made me a little nervous. **_**How **_**unlikable is he to you exactly? While I want Cody to be flawed and not be a Mary Sue, I do want him to be likable. He is the main character, and not the type that the reader is supposed to think is a complete bastard. **

* * *

**Cody**: Bastion(Squirtle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Larvitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick)

Heather: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidoran [F]), Bella (Oddish), Flash (Trapinch)

Jared: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Gastly, Bagon, Nidorino

**Chapter 24: The Angels of Haven**

It was a disturbing sight, to say the least. Cody was horrified, Heather looked like she was about to puke, but Jared just stood there, emotionless. It wasn't something he hadn't seen before in his travels. Sad as it was, he had been desensitized.

"Is… is he-"

"Yes Heather, he's dead," Jared answered. His words were as cold as the frost that resided on the poor, dead teenager's face, but they were necessary. No point in dodging he truth. Upon hearing the words, Heather burst into tears, and Jared quickly offered his shoulder for her to cry into, as well as some soft words to calm her down.

Meanwhile, Cody knelt down and looked the corpse in its cold, dead eyes. The boy looked about his age, his red hair matching his face, which was spotted with dozens of freckles. However, his skin was icy blue, and his mouth hung in an awkward position. Half of the kids body was in his sleeping bag, frozen stiff around the poor boy. Cody shuddered at this trainer's fate. To die alone in the cold like this… it must have been awful… and lonely. If only the poor kid knew that the next town was only a few miles away.

"What do you think happened to him?" Cody asked, the normal enthusiasm that resided in his voice appropriately absent.

"I think he froze to death. You know how low the temperatures get out here. Looks like he couldn't start a fire, and-"

"How many times have you seen this?" Cody asked, softly so that he wouldn't upset Heather any further.

"This is my fifth. I saw four last winter. I'm surprised this is the first one we crossed. Then again, there are a lot of pokemon out here. Often if other trainers don't find the bodies first, they will and-"

"Please stop," Heather whimpered, receiving a kiss on the cheek from her boyfriend.

"It's okay, it's alright," he cooed sensitively, caressing her back. "I promise you'll be safe. This will never happen to you. I promise…"

Cody looked away from his two companions and back at the body. This certainly was one of the darker sides of training for the ones who couldn't adapt to the lifestyle. Bastion, who was by his side at the moment, walked up to the frozen corpse and began to sniff it curiously.

"Don't do that," Cody whispered, grabbing the Squirtle by the shell and pulling him back. The turtle looked back at him curiously. Of course he didn't understand. Many pokemon didn't think about their death. But knowing the complex questions that arose from such thoughts, that was probably for the best.

"Hehehehehehehe!" Cortez the Litwick slowly flew from his trainer's shoulder and landed on the corpse's head. Cody motioned for the candle to move, but it wouldn't budge. _Of course…_

"What, what is he-" Heather began.

"Oh, Jesus Christ, Cody!" Jared shouted furiously, "put a leash on that thing!"

"Fine, fine," Cody sighed, returning the ghost to its pokeball. Cortez was obviously sucking out whatever life energy was remaining in the dead body. There was nothing wrong with it. It was only natural that Cortez wanted to feed, but to keep in the good graces of his friends, he complied to their wishes. After returning the candle to his pokeball, he stood up. "Look, I really don't think we should be lingering here. We really should-"

"We can't just leave him here," Heather pleaded. "It's not right!"

"We can't take him with us though," Jared said, pointing out the obvious. "Luckily, they have an app for this sort of thing." He pulled out his phone and began press various buttons.

"What are you doing?" Cody asked solemnly.

"Simple." Jared began. "With this app, you ping your coordinates to some satellite, state the emergency, and rangers come to the location. I found application after we were attacked by that psycho. I suggest that you two upgrade your phones and get it too. iPhones are probably the greatest invention since the wheel." With some finishing clicks, he sent the message, and returned the phone to his pocket. "Come on. Let's get into town."

"Alright," Cody agreed, touching Heather's arm in an extra attempt to comfort her. Someday, the two of them would see the silver lining of this experience. It was a painful reminder of their own mortality.

* * *

"Welcome to Greenville!" The trio was interrupted from their somber thoughts by a girl their age in a winter coat. She seemed way too happy for the gloomy February day, and her look didn't match her personality. Her hair was dyed hot pink, and she had a nose ring that hung between her nostrils. Even though Cody thought she was kind of cute, he thought it was odd that somebody so "punk" was greeting people that walked into the town.

"Um, thanks," Jared muttered. "Can you direct us to the pokemon center? We've been on the road for awhi-"

"Center of town!" she announced joyfully. "But before you go, you trainers should go check out the new Haven House! Just built last week! You can get a warm meal there for free! A room too, if there are any available! Down the street and you take a left at-"

"Wait, how did you know we were trainers?" Cody asked. But the girl only laughed at him playfully.

"Because your friend just said you were looking for a pokemon center, silly!" she giggled. She then knelt down to Bastion's level and squealed. "Is this your pokemon? He's so cute!" Without even asking permission, she grabbed the turtle and squeezed him as she stood back up. Bastion struggled to free himself, but the pink haired girl's grip was too tight. "And he feels so strong! What's his name?"

"Bastion," Cody answered, reaching out for his pokemon. The Squirtle finally freed himself from the girl's grasp and leapt into Cody's arms. The turtle did not particularly enjoy being held by strangers.

"Aww, he wuvs you!" she cooed. "I bet you're a really strong trainer to-"

"Um, thanks, we need to go-" Cody began, but he was cut off as the girl thrust pamphlets into the hands of him and his friends.

"Check out the Haven House, down the street, after hooking a left on Gridstone Avenue. Best soup in town. And it's FREE!"

"Okay, see you around!" Cody gasped as he briskly walked away from the pink haired girl.

"Buh-bye, sweetie! See you and your friends around!" she called out.

"Bye…" Cody waved back awkwardly. _What a spooky chick._

"Well… that was interesting…" Jared commented as the three walked through the town, which was quiet at the morning hours.

"Cody, I think you have another fan," Heather laughed, but Cody shrugged.

"I'm not into the peppy, scary types. What is this thing anyway?" He looked down at the pamphlet and frowned in confusion. The front said "Haven House" in big red letters, and it showed a picture of a child and his Bulbasaur happily drinking soup from the same bowl. _How odd…_

"Need a hot meal and a place to sleep, but you're down on your luck and low on cash?" Heather began to read from the pamphlet. "Haven House is the place for you. Funded by Ideal Imports, Haven House is run by trainers for trainers. It is our goal that we erect a Haven House in each city and town in Skitrex. So tell your friends! And hurry! Today, you can become a part of this establishment and receive the many benefits that we have to offer for trainers of all kinds. If you are interested, call…" She stopped at the phone numbers and cocked her head. "What is this all about?"

"Looks like a soup kitchen to me, but made for trainers…" Cody replied. "But why they make a trainer centered kitchen is beyond me. There are normal soup kitc-"

"Cody, the number of trainers has been skyrocketing since the 90's in just about every country," Jared answered. "The number of poor, unsuccessful trainers is also pretty high, as are the deaths of said trainers, as we saw earlier. I guess this is a response to that, so… it's a good thing. It also looks like they have membership openings, and since the kitchens are run by trainers-"

"What's Ideal Imports?" Cody interrupted. He had re-read the pamphlet during Jared's explanation, and he had become ever more curious on the subject.

"They're an import company," Jared explained, slightly annoyed that Cody had cut him off. "They buy distribution rights to products from other countries that other people here want, and then they sell them to retail businesses throughout the region. Basically, it makes it a whole lot easier for Skitrexian's to get foreign stuff, like Cuban cigars, foreign alcohol, clothes, and stuff like that. My dad used to work there before…" An awkward pause appeared in Jared's sentence. The wounds between him and Cody were still tender, so just bringing up his past was enough to warrant silence. "Why they're funding this is beyond me."

"Hmm… Maybe they're just good people…" Cody replied, though for some reason, he had a difficult time believing that. There were so many greedy people in the world that he couldn't imagine why such a large company would fund a charity organization. "Oh, we're here." The three of them looked up at the old brick building with the words "Haven House" painted in red letters on a giant wooden board above the door. Before they could move, a young greeter with sandy-blond hair approached them.

"Welcome to Haven House! Trainers, I'm sure you're hungry after a long trip on the road!" he greeted enthusiastically, a toothy grin pasted on his face.. All three of them stepped back in unison, slightly frightened. It seemed like every person affiliated with this organization was a creeper.

"Um… thanks…" Cody began nervously, "but we're not exactly… um… poor." This comment got Cody a swift punch in the arm from Heather.

"Cody!" she hissed.

"What? Somebody had to say it!" Luckily for them, the greeter laughed cheerfully.

"It's no trouble friend! Although this place is for trainers in need, anybody can partake! Besides, we want you to come in! Then you can tell your friends and everybody you meet about Haven House! We plan to have one in every city and town in Ski-"

"Yes, we read the pamphlet, thank you," Cody said as he and the others pushed past the overzealous man and into the building. What they found inside was heartwarming. The big room was crowded with teenage trainers and their pokemon. Most of them wore old, ratty clothes, and most of their pokemon looked underfed. Yet here they all were, eating soup and talking amongst themselves. Obviously, a nice distraction from the harshness of the winter.

"Wow, that soup smells really good…" Heather breathed as she inhaled the aroma. "Is that chicken noodle?"

"Smells like it. Let's get some," Jared suggested. The three trainers joined the line and waited for their turn. All in all, they felt slightly out of place in the room, given that their clothes weren't as messy, and they didn't smell as strange, but nobody was judging them by the looks of things. After a short wait, the three of them received their bowls of soup, pieces of buttered bread, and some apple from the overly friendly servers, and then they looked for a seat. Unfortunately, there were only two tables left, both of which only had two chairs each.

"We can move a chair over so-"

"No Heather, I'm just going to eat by myself. Give you two some alone time," Cody offered with a weak smile.

"Oh… okay." There was no fooling her. Cody and Jared didn't want to be around each other for too long now days, and that often meant eating separately. It wasn't a great scenario, but it was for the best. After separating from his group, Cody placed his tray on the table and sat down in the old chair so he could drink the warm stew. Bastion hopped up onto his trainer's lap and began to eat the apple.

"You're welcome," Cody muttered, patting the Squirtle's head with a free hand. The tiny turtle seemed to be eating a lot more lately, and it was a curious thing, given that the turtle's metabolism allowed him to go several days without food.

Cody looked back over at Heather and Jared, who were talking with each other. It was strange how isolated he felt now. The wounds between him and Jared were closing, but at a Slugma's pace. One thing that surprised Cody though was that Jared had not traded his Gastly away. The older boy kept saying that he planned on trading the ghost in the next town they went through, but every town they passed, he didn't bother. Perhaps he was growing attached to the gassy ghost? He hadn't used the spirit in battle yet, but he hadn't gotten rid of it either. Maybe Cody's stupid plan was working after all, although it was too soon to tell.

"Hey kid, mind if I sit here? I'd rather not eat standing up." Cody stopped thinking for a moment as he looked up to see who was talking to him. It was a young man, probably in his early twenties, with shoulder length black hair, pale skin, striking grey eyes, and kind of a baby face. He stared at Cody, unblinking, as he waited for a response.

"Um… sure." The man placed his tray on the table and sat down on the opposite side of Cody. Something felt wrong with this scenario. The man was giving Cody a very creepy stare, and yet, it felt familiar,

"Do… do I know you?" Cody asked hesitantly. "I feel like I've met you before…"

"Hmph, doubt it," the dark-haired man replied as he fiddled with his spoon. The shiny utensil had suddenly captured all of his interest from Cody. "I don't make a lot of friends, kid."

"Um… okay. Er… my name is Cody."

"That's nice." The man went on to eat his soup, and Cody did the same. Something about this guy was way too creepy, as was everybody else in this town he was in. But instead of being overly friendly, this guy was just overly… weird.

"That's a nice Squirtle you got there." The man had finished his soup, and now he went back to obsessively playing with his spoon again. "Looks strong too. Are you a good trainer?"

"Um… yeah, I guess I am," Cody admitted softly. "But how do you know Bastion is strong?" It was always strange when people said that sort of thing about a pokemon that wasn't battling. He loved his Squirtle, but in all honesty, it didn't look any stronger than any other given Squirtle.

"I have an eye for it," the man answered. "I'm a trainer too, obviously. After all, I work for Haven."

_What, like I was supposed to know that?_ "What, you do?" Cody asked suspiciously. "You're not ladling soup."

"Cody, is it?" the man asked. "There's more to Haven House than soup. We're all about trainer improvement. I work as a trainer for trainers. I also train pokemon that I give to struggling trainers."

"Hmm… I didn't know," Cody stuttered. But then his eyes lit up. "Wait, you just _give _trainers trained pokemon? For free? Isn't that cheating?"

"Cheating…" The man sighed, though something about the sigh was so emotionless. "Storm, training isn't that simple. Even a good pokemon is useless in the hands of a weak trainer. Obviously, you should know that by now."

"Wait, what?"

"You'll understand some day," the man replied. He stood up and took his tray with him. "I need to get back to work, kiddo. I hope you learned something today."

"Um… thanks?" Cody replied, still confused about everything this man had told him. "I um… I never got your name…"

"Oh." Suddenly, the man's neutral lips twisted into a very unnatural looking smile. "It's Casper. Take care." He turned around and walked away, leaving Cody with more questions with answers. How could one person seem so off?

"Rup!" Bastion grunted as he stared up into his trainer's eyes.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied to his Squirtle. "This is a weird town. The sooner we leave, the bet-"

A black hole seemed to form in the pit of his stomach. _Casper… I never gave him my last name… but he called me Storm that one time… how in the world did he know?_

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright? You never call home anymore, sweetie. You know how I worry."

"Yes mom, I'm fine," Heather replied, rolling her eyes, though nobody could see it. "You shouldn't worry so much. Jared and Cody are with me, and-"

"Actually, that's why I'm worried," her mother interrupted. "It's dangerous for a young woman to be traveling alone in this day and age. I know you're not alone, but I've never met these boys. It just worries me. You're so young, Heather. I really don't want you to get hurt. That's why I didn't want you to go on this journey in the first place, but... Maybe if you went with some of your friends at home-"

"Mom, if I was having a problem, I'd tell you. I'm fine."

"I know, but-"

"Look, how about I introduce you to Jared when I come home in the summer. He doesn't exactly have a home to return to right now, so it'll be okay. I'll even introduce you to Cody if he's around, but he has his own family, so-"

"Alright, alright," her mother sighed. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want you to end up like one of those kids on the news that got eaten by wild Houndoom or anything, okay?"

"Yes mother, I'll be perfectly safe," she promised again, leaning back on the hotel bed. "I'll call you in a week. I promise. I love you mom."

"I love you too, dear. Be safe!" A click followed and the phone went silent.

Heather fell all the way on her back and she stared at the ceiling, enjoying the silence of the tiny town, save the running of the shower in the bathroom. She savored these few moments when she was alone… truly alone. Jared was in the shower, Cody was out training, and her pokemon were at the center, being healed. The solitude gave her time to think in peace about everything, and the topic of the day branched from her mother's concern.

She understood that her mother's concern, while annoying, was understandable. Even more so, since throughout her schooling, Heather had always been the one out of her friends that was always getting into trouble and starting up drama among her peers. But such activities weren't uncommon for young girls. Even though she had calmed down in the past few years, but her mother still saw her as a dangerous spark. Ironically, she was the one in the group that was mature while Cody and Jared fought with each other like pre-teen girls.

That being said, a lot of their problems were… complicated. Jared was uptight and straight-laced while Cody was relaxed and liberal. But beyond that, they both had broken families (or breaking in Cody's case.) She had a hard time understanding that as well, given that her parents were still together, and her family life was never all that complicated. She wanted to be able to get what they were going through so she could help in any way she could, but the subject was difficult for both of the boys.

There was another problem that plagued her: when Jared told her to choose between him and Cody, she hesitated to give him an answer, and for one reason alone… she wouldn't have been able to decide. She really liked Jared as a boyfriend. He was mature (for the most part), cute and good to her. But Cody was her friend who was the reason she was living her dream of being a trainer. Plus, she felt so comfortable being around him and talking about things with him that Jared would have deemed "inappropriate." Was there a right choice to the question, if it was asked again? Was it wrong that she was considering choosing her friend over her boyfriend?

She sighed as she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. They were taking a day off to rest, and it felt so nice to be in a nice, warm bed. Yet, she couldn't relax.

_I don't get my life… I wanted this adventure to be like Lord of the Rings, but here I am, feeling like it's becoming One Tree Hill._

* * *

"Skreee!"

"Skreee!"

"Skreeeee!"

Cody's bird call of Antonia was getting more accurate. So accurate in fact, that she was actually responding to it, and would even return to him when he made the call, making it easier to find her when they were out at night.

"Skreee!" Antonia flew into the grove where Cody and Bastion currently were, carrying a dead Bidoof in her beak. The metal covering her skin was getting even thicker and stronger, and her appearance was beginning to look more like a typical Skarmory. Cody reached out and pet her on the horn that was forming, put pulled away at the chilling touch. While the inner layers of metal were warmed by her body, the outer layer had been chilled by the winter wind.

"You're so beautiful," Cody said to the bird, smiling at how much she had grown. "I can't wait until you're finally cleared for competitive battling. You're going to clean house for sure."

"Skureee!" she roared proudly, her falcon-like voice bouncing off every tree nearby. Even if she could understand Cody, her response would have been the same. "She's like a spoiled teenage girl!" Jared had said countless times. Even Cody, who was totally in love with the Skarmory, couldn't deny this.

Once Antonia had flown back into the woods to find more food, Cody sat back down next to Bastion at the little fire he had built. "Of course, I'm proud of you too, friend," Cody told the turtle. Since Antonia and Cortez had been absorbing so much of his time as of his late, he spent most of his day off with Bastion, making up for lost training in the past few weeks. Luckily, Greenville was full of trainers, but none of them had pokemon that could outdo Bastion in battle. The tiny turtle had even been able to take on pokemon from some of the three badge trainers, but now, the boy and his Squirtle relaxed by the fire, just enjoying each other's company. "This is just like old times, eh?" he commented, thinking back to the previous July. "Remember when we first started? Just the two of us?" Of course, he had all of his pokemon with him now instead of just Bastion (save Colossal, who was spending the night at the pokemon center so his progress in his pupation could be monitored.)

Bastion just grunted in response, scooting his body closer to his trainer in order to be pat on the head. Just a simple response was all that was needed between the two. But the moment didn't last, because in a split second, Bastion had leapt to his feet and began to growl at a nearby bush.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Cody asked, unconcerned. _Probably a Rattata or something._ But the Squirtle wouldn't stop. Whatever was in the bushes finally appeared. It was a familiar looking round pokemon with purple hair, long antenna, and big red eyes. "Venonat…" Cody stood up and stared, but he was slightly confused on what to do. The Venonat had been following the group for weeks, but nothing seemed to come of it. Was the masked man just playing with him? Was the Venonat even worth running from?

"Rrrrrup!" Bastion's attention had turned to Cody… or rather, what was behind him. The teen slowly turned his body and could just barely see a figure in the shadows of the trees, wearing a black jumpsuit and helmet that covered his face. It was _him._ If Cody wasn't trying to look for him, he probably wouldn't have seen the man.

"Hm… your Squirtle has been trained well. I didn't think he would have sensed me. So much for a sneak attack." His voice seemed emotionless, but strangely familiar.

_Where have I heard that voice before? _"What do you want?" Cody said, trying to sound tough, though it wasn't really showing in his tone. "You've been following us for months, but-"

"I've been ordered to follow you, but not to make my move until your security dropped. And here we are. You're out here alone. Bad decision." His words were cold and calculating, and Cody saw the man's Roselia appear next to him from the darkness. Even though the pokemon was cute, she shared her trainer's coldness.

"I… we reported you to the police. How did you-"

"I can be very slippery," he answered. "But there's no reason to involve the authorities. The Superior One only wishes to talk with you. You have my word."

"I have your word?" Cody asked doubtfully. "You attacked us! You threatened my friends! I-"

"This can all end easily, Cody. All you have to do is come with me, and nobody gets hurt. And trust me, you don't want to test me. My pokemon are much stronger than yours. So-"

"Sorry, but no. You and your entire organization can burn in Hell. Bastion, Aqua Je-"

"Sleep Powder." Bastion shot his shell straight at the masked man, but the Roselia jumped in the way and shot a puff of powder into the head hole of the Squirtle's shell while punching him back. Cody looked down at the turtle pokemon in horror, as he had been knocked into a deep sleep. Using a quick burst of adrenaline, he managed to scoop up the turtle and made a dash for the woods. After running for a minute straight, he leaned against a tree and tried to catch his breath, desperately glancing about for the man that was pursuing him. But nobody was following him… or so it seemed.

"Chiip!" The Venonat had followed him, though it wasn't attacking him for some reason.

"Running. It's futile, you know." The man in black reappeared from the side opposite of the direction that Cody had ran from, his Roselia and his Luxio by his side. Cody tried to speak, but he was too in shock to understand what had happened.

"How did- how did you ge- get over-"

"You're surrounded. Now give up like a good little boy, and maybe you won't get hurt."

"Fat chance!" Cody announced, deciding he'd rather go down swinging. "Go!" He swept three pokeballs from his belt and tossed them in front of him. Elesa, Cortez, and Mars appeared, ready to kick the ass of any threat out there. "Now- Oof!" He was taken down from behind as the Venonat had launched its body into the back of his knee. When Cody pulled his face out of the snow, he saw that the masked man was gone, but his three available pokemon were doing battle (Elesa with the Luxio, Cortez with the Roselia, and Mars with the Venonat). But where was the man in black?

Picking the sleeping Bastion off the ground, Cody ran past the battlers, hoping that his pokemon would be able to hold the opponents off. _Where the hell is he? _But he had barely walked ten yards into the thicket before a blur of black came at him from behind a tree and made a quick swiping motion at Cody's chest, just barely missing him with the long gleaming knife in his hand. "Holy shit!"

"Easy decision," the man said calmly as he back Cody against a tree. "I won't kill you, but you'll have a few ways to remember me by if you don't quit while you can." While giving this threat, he was tossing the knife between his hands, catching it with only two fingers each time.

"Fuck you," Cody shouted in reply, and just barely sidestepped the knife's second slash. He kept backing away as the masked man kept trying to stab and slash at his chest. He was too afraid to turn around and run, given that the man could easily swipe him during his turn around. Finally though, the man had finally got close enough that a hit would be inevitable. But before he was hit, he instinctively held up the sleeping Squirtle's shell up in front of his chest, and the knife made a "chink" sound as the two elements collided. He parried the blade several more times with the turtle shell before the man finally knocked the Squirtle out of Cody's hands with his free hand and taking another swipe at his chest, this time connecting by the knife's tip. The young trainer screamed in agony at the diagonal slash that he received on his chest, cutting his shirt and skin. The initial pain of the cut was brief, but the stinging of the cold air, matched with the gruesomeness of the wound, made him feel more nauseated than he had ever been in years. He found himself pinned against another tree as the man in black was inches away. What was the stranger going to do next, now that he finally had his prey cornered?

Before Cody could find out, the man in black was knocked to the side by a blast of water. Bastion had woken up, but while the Squirtle was standing again, he was wobbling violently, probably from the poisons that were in the Roselia's Sleep Powder. Cody suddenly fell to his knees, feeling way too dizzy as well from the blood he was losing. Luckily for him, another distraction sidetracked the man as his Luxio flew through the air and into a tree stump. Elesa stepped into the clearing, but she was breathing heavily, as the Zebstrika had many tooth and claw marks all over her body. The two had severely injured each other, but they were hardly done yet. Meanwhile, Mars was chasing the Roselia, whose body was singed from fire. However, Cortez was nowhere in sight, nor was the Venonat. _They must have fainted. _But the sides were still uneven, as Cody was bleeding, and he only had a few usable pokemon left to fight back with.

"Luxio, Swagger!"

"Don't fall for it!" Cody sputtered in pain, trying to stand up again, though to no avail. But the Luxio roared proudly, challenging and enraging Elesa. Of course, the aggressive horse fell for the taunt and chased after the Luxio at a recklessly dangerous speed. But at the last second, the lion gracefully leapt out of the way, and Elesa crashed into a thick tree, letting out a roar of pain. Meanwhile, Mars was dodging the various attacks of the Roselia, since the flowered pokemon was too injured from her previous encounter and was unable to chase him down effectively.

"Rose, knock him out!" the masked man ordered pointing at Cody while trying to dodge Mars, who had begun to chase the Roselia's trainer instead of her. The Roselia turned her attention to Cody, and she was coming towards him when Bastion stood his ground in front of the grass pokemon, ready to defend his trainer.

"Bastion, Tackle her, but don't let her get her roses close to your face! Mars! Help Elesa!" His Squirtle immediately bashed his skull into the Roselia's chest. Meanwhile, Mars left the mysterious man alone and smacked the electric lion with a Bulldoze. Before the Luxio could recover, Elesa pinned him down with her hooves and channeled every watt of electric energy she could into the lion's smaller frame. The Luxio roared in pain, but eventually, these roars subsided when he overheated and fainted.

"Damn." That was all the unknown man had to say. He returned his Luxio and tossed out a new poke ball, which burst to reveal his Granbull. The big, pinkish-purplish colored dog let out a deep-voiced bark as it stood up on its hind legs and held its fists up like a boxer. Just the sight of the bulldog was enough to strike fear into the hearts of his pokemon.

"Elesa!" Cody shouted as he finally pulled himself to his feet with the support of a nearby tree. "Flame Charge!"

"Fire Fang!" the man in black called out. His Granbull was steadfast as Elesa charged, fire at her heels. Blocking the horse's fire with his own on his jaws, the large fanged dog bit her leg as she approached, and in a circular motion, he swung his head around, and with his incredible jaw strength, threw the frightened Zebstrika into a tree.

"Elesa!" Cody shouted fearfully as the zebra tried to stand up, but she couldn't. Judging by her struggles, it was likely that the Granbull broke her leg. "Return!" As Elesa was sucked back into her poke ball, Cody noticed that Mars had fainted as well. The Roselia must have gotten to him while he was distracted by the Granbull. Grudgingly, he returned the mole to his pokeball as well. All that was left was the masked man, his pokemon, himself, and a tired Squirtle that stood between them.

"Hmph, how I wish I could battle you on normal terms. It would be… amusing." He spun the knife by its handle on his index finger, like a basketball, seeming a bit too relaxed. "I have two more pokemon, not including these ones. Surrender and make this easy for both of us."

Before he even had a moment to consider the idea, Bastion shot itself at the Granbull with an Aqua Jet… only to bounce off the Granbull's ripped chest. The big dog grabbed the turtle by its shell with its oversized jaws and threw it like it did Elesa, though Bastion managed to land on his feet like an acrobat, although he was obviously shaken. The full day of battles was finally catching up with him.

"Granbull, crush him!"

"Bastion, Water Gun!" The turtle shot a stream of water at the dog, but the much bigger pokemon ran through the stream like a freight train and smacked Bastion with a strong punch. The Squirtle was launched backwards and tried to retaliate with a Water Pulse, but this was easily shaken off by the Granbull. _What can possibly take this thing down?_

Bastion was then forced to shake off a Leech Seed that the Roselia shot at him with a Rapid Spin. Just a painful reminder that if the battle against the Granbull wasn't bad enough, it was still a two versus one scenario for the Squirtle. All the while, Cody had to keep an eye on the masked man, making sure that the aggressor never got too close to him.

"Bastion, Iron Tail! Try to knock the dog off its feet!" Cody shouted in desperation. The Squirtle leapt into action, swinging its flashing, metallic tail at the Granbull, but the bulldog caught the turtle by the tail, and swung him into the ground. Then, the dog jumped straight up into the air, ready to perform some sort of Body Slam on the fallen foe, but right before he landed, a flash of silver flew into view, tackling the Granbull into the earth. Antonia had returned, taking the Granbull off his guard, but the young Skarmory's glory was cut short, as when she stood up again from the attack, the Roselia puffed a greenish powder into the armored bird's face, and she fell over unconscious. Maybe if she were a bit older, her body wouldn't have shut down so easily. _Damn that Sleep Powder. _He returned his Skarmory to her poke ball, cursing the loss of his wild card in this fight.

"This is getting annoying," the masked man stated, sounding incredibly bored with the fight. "Finish the Squirtle now." When Bastion reached a standing position, he saw that he was surrounded by the two pokemon he was fighting, both looking merciless and bloodthirsty. "Now!" he repeated.

"Protect!" Cody shrieked, though even he knew this would only buy him a little bit of time. Bastion retreated into his fortress, and a small bluish bubble appeared inches above his shell, surrounding him. But that did not stop the two enemies from attacking. The Roselia sprayed Bastion's protective bubble with powder, and the Granbull bit down on the bubble with a Fire Fang, igniting the powder. It wouldn't be long until the bubble burst, and the Squirtle would be the subject of a brutal double team. Panic was rushing in Cody's veins now. He had no usable pokemon, he had left his backpack and healing items back at the fire since he forgot to pick them up, and there was no way he could fight this stalker and his remaining pokemon by himself. _I could really use a miracle right about now, _he thought to himself as beads of sweat had made their appearance, despite the frigid temperatures.

His prayers were answered. In a burst of light, the protective bubble exploded, and both the Granbull and the Roselia were flung backwards, leaving Bastion's untouched shell on the ground. But something looked off about it. The shell looked… bigger. _Why does it look bigger?_

"Hauh!" a deep voice sounded as the turtle sprang to his feet out of his shell, and Cody's questions were answered. Bastion was now a bit taller, his skin a darker shade of blue, and he had two large, fluffy ears, and a bigger, fluffy, white tail. When the turtle opened his eyes, he had a mixed look on his face. It was a mix of loyalty and love for his trainer, and rage. Pure, unadulterated, rage. This new, improved Bastion did not look like he would be taken lightly.

"Holy shit…" Cody whispered in awe. "You evolved…" His wish had come true.

"Get him," the opponent ordered, undeterred by Bastion's sudden evolution. Both the Granbull and the Roselia charged the Wartortle at the same time, but using his newly developed legs, the turtle made an impressive vertical leap, and the dog pokemon ended up knocking the Roselia onto her back. As if on cue, Bastion immediately pulled into his shell, and Aqua Jetted his body into the fallen flower's body. The force of the attack was enough to finally end the Roselia's run.

"Don't fail me Granbull," the masked man ordered gravely. "Takedown."

"Water Gun!" Cody commanded. Bastion shot a blast of water at the charging bulldog, but this time, the much bigger blast of water had a fire hose effect on the aggressor, slamming the dog into a tree. The Wartortle immediately followed this move up with an Aqua Jet to the Granbull's chest. A weaker pokemon would have been stunned by such an attack, but the dog immediately shook off the attack and threw Bastion backwards. The two locked into hand-to-hand combat, but this was a battle that the larger Granbull would certainly win. But once he had the Wartortle in his mouth, Cody ordered a Rapid Spin, and with a sick sound of teeth grinding against the shell, Bastion freed himself from the Granbull's hold, leaving the dog in a state of pain as it clutched its jaw. _Now's our chance._

"Iron Tail!" The Wartortle seemed to expect this command, and he did a backflip, metalicizing his tails halfway through, and smacking the Granbull upwards on his lower jaw. The big, pink pokemon let out a yelp of pain before falling over backwards.

"No matter," the stranger said coolly as he pulled another pokeball from his belt, but before he could release a fifth monster, he was smacked in the face by Bastion's tail, and he fell over, unconscious.

"What the… oh crap…" Cody muttered in fear as he looked at what his pokemon had just done. Self-defense or not, he'd be in a whole mess of legal trouble if Bastion had just killed the man. Then again, Bastion would probably have been taken out by whatever the man's next pokemon was, given that the day's fatigue would have overcome the Wartortle's adrenaline rush.

"Huap?" the Wartortle grunted, as if to question his trainer's expression. But Cody said nothing. Feeling the weight of capture being relieved, he knelt down and hugged the tired turtle tightly, feeling the tickle of his pokemon's ears on his cheek.

"You're growing up, buddy. Nice work," he whispered gratefully, squeezing the reptile even harder. Then he stood up and walked over to the masked man's body. Luckily, the man was still breathing, and his neck looked okay from a distance. If Bastion had used an Iron Tail on the man, opposed to just a normal tail slap, he would have easily snapped the man's neck. But seeing the man erupted a curiosity in Cody. Who was this stranger? If he had been following the group for months, did he ever see the man, but never notice him without the mask? To answer his questions, he knelt down by the unconscious man's head and slowly removed the helmet, only to feel his heart skip a beat at the answer to his question.

"It's… it's that guy from the soup kitchen…" Cody muttered in utter surprise. "Casper…" Sure enough, the dark haired, pale skinned man was there looking up at him, so to speak. This answer only raised more questions though. Casper had said he worked for the kitchen… were they involved in the organization Frank was a member of? Or was it just a coincidence?

"Hmm… what to do…" he pondered as he tried to readjust his breathing. He wouldn't be able to carry the body back. His chest was still hurting from the knife slash, and although the wound had clotted, he wouldn't want it to reopen under the strain of carrying the man that could possibly wake up at any minute. The only option was to leave the man there and to tell the police about the incident and where it happened.

"Well, we better go find Cortez and my stuff," Cody muttered to Bastion, who was now sniffing at the man's pokeballs. _Should I take his pokemon and give them to the police? No… too messy_. That was a bad idea. Taking somebody's pokemon without permission, a warrant, or general law enforcement approval was a very serious property violation. Even in a situation like this, it would only cause more problems. "We better get going. The sooner we get back to Greenville and alert the police, the more likely this sneaky bastard will get caught."  
Cody and Bastion walked away from the battlefield that night, only having a taste of the organization's will. Little did the young trainer know, that someday, the faction would find a way to invade all of his senses.

* * *

**You guys wanted Wartortle? You got him!**

** By the way, check out Xtreme Gamer's community "Pokemon's Best of the Best." He added Storm Warning to his archive, and he has a lot of other good stories there. Check it out! **

** I did ask Digital Skitty if she'd accept my story, but no response. Maybe she'd listen to you guys? (no, I'm totally not trying to push my story.) Thanks for reading! Until next time…**


	25. Chapter 25: Out of the Shadows

**Thanks for the reviews guys. However, given the "concerns" about the plot that I have received, I feel like I ought to explain something.  
The reason Cody did not take Casper's pokemon has to do with the laws and the culture of Skitrex. I've said it before, and there's plenty of implications that say that Skitrex has a lot of trainer crime. Whether it be mugging, murder, or just plain theft, there are plenty of people that use pokemon to commit crime. On top of that, it's stated in chapter three that typical trainers have low grade point averages and are in the business in order to make money, which isn't a healthy stereotype in the slightest. Had Cody had taken Casper's pokemon, he would have been named a suspect in a possible theft, and then he would get tangled up in the legal system. Because he wanted to keep on moving and get Casper caught, he figured it would be better to report Casper to the police and let them sort it out.  
**

**Does that help? If so, I'm sorry I didn't explain it well enough earlier. If no... just assume that Cody is an idiot.  
**

* * *

**Cody**: Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick)

**Heather**: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Oddish), Flash (Trapinch)

**Jared**: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Gastly, Bagon, Jolteon

**Chapter 25: Out of the Shadows**

_"Where are you?" Cody asked the empty darkness. Silence. How he hated silence in this dark realm of his dreams. He didn't like the presence of the dark being to begin with, but not hearing the voice made him incredibly antsy. Why was it even there if not to scare him? _

_ "Well this is stupid…"_

_"Oh is it now?" the voice finally chimed in, wretchedness in its words._

_ "You! Show yourself!" Cody demanded, but his word meant nothing to the voice that just laughed back at him. Then there was a jutting pain in his chest._

"God damn it!" He sat up in the pokemon center bed he was sleeping in, clutching his pectoral where the pain had hit him. It had been like this for weeks now. The voice had not actually been talking to him, but just kept its appearances brief and painful. His motives… what could they possibly be? The voice had told him back in December that it was trying to become accustomed to his body, or whatever that meant, but what did that even mean and how was it accomplished? This nightmare monster was just so vague and confusing that it filled him with even more frustration.

"Cody…" The young trainer turned his head to see Heather looking at him from her twin mattress a few feet away. Even though the room the group was staying in was dim, he could tell that his friend looked even more tired than he was, but her concern was apparent, as were all of her expressions.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep," he mumbled as he leaned back on his bed, hands behind his head as he tried to calm himself from the vision that he just had. But the view of the empty ceiling was blocked by Heather looking down at him. When she sat down on his bed, he let out a groan and sat up next to her. "I said I'm fine," he repeated. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"I didn't ask if you were fine," she pointed out, though her words were gentle and smooth.  
"Well… I figured-"

"You figured that I figured because you figured?" she asked. Although it was a serious question, Cody chuckled at the repeating of words she had made. "Seriously Cody," she continued in a whisper as she touched his shoulder, "I've noticed that you've been jolting awake a lot lately. Like, I've seen you do it from time to time, but this is the third time this week. Is there something that's-"

"No." He slowly pulled her hand from his shoulder and was about to fall back into the bed, but Heather stopped him.

"You're an awful liar, you know," she whispered, frowning. "Please tell me what's wrong… it's not that Casper, is it? You don't think he'd come after you in a public place, do you? I think we're safe in here."

That was actually a legitimate sounding answer. On the night that Cody had to fight off Casper, the man in black, he returned to the town and went straight to the local police station to explain the situation and get the wound on his chest checked out. Immediately, rangers were dispatched to the location where Cody was attacked, but according to the chief, when they reached the location of the brawl, the man and his pokemon had disappeared. With no luck in finding the man, they sent out a notice to nearby towns with a sketch of the man's face (that Cody gave details for) and they interrogated a few of the members at the Haven House where Casper was supposedly working, though none of what they found out was useful. Even though the authorities were now looking for him, but it made Cody uneasy that the mad man was still out there, especially knowing that he would go to any lengths to accomplish a goal. The scar on his chest was a blunt reminder of this.

"Yeah, that's it…" Cody mumbled, hoping that Heather would buy it. By some unknown source of luck, she did.

"You don't need to worry. You have me and you have Jared-"

"Yeah, for what that's worth," Cody mumbled, unconvinced.

"Fine, you have me then," Heather groaned, rolling her eyes. "Just don't be afraid to talk to me about this sort of thing. Remember: no secrets in our group."

"Yes, yes, thank you," Cody sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I need to try and get back to sleep if that's alright with you."

"Yeah, sure. Good night, Cody." She gave him a light hug before returning to her bed.

He rested his head against the pillow and shook his head in frustration. No secrets… he was probably the biggest perpetrator of that rule in the group, and he intended to keep it that way.

* * *

Two blue pokemon worked side by side in the battle plot near a children's playground. These pokemon, of course, belonged to Cody Storm, as he did battle with a female trainer who was about his age and experience level.

The first pokemon was his Wartortle. Ever since that fateful day when Bastion finally evolved, his performance in battle had skyrocketed. The turtle with the long, fluffy ears was bigger, faster, stronger, and more durable than his pre-evolution, but he was still small and light enough to perform in the agile way he once did as a Squirtle. Thankfully, his friendly and curious personality seemed to be untouched by his evolution, although he was more aggressive in battle.

The second pokemon was Colossal the Pupitar. Once his pupation was complete, the hard shelled monster went from being one of Cody's decent team members to being a top performer in his tier. The Pupitar, bluish-gray in color and covered in spikes, had grown used to his new form rather quickly and became quite the offensive wall both absorbing hits and dealing them. Even though it would take two years or so for him to reach his final form, the current state of things made him a desirable team member. On top of that, Colossal was no longer fearful and cowardly as he was as a Larvitar, but focused and stoic, whether he was in battle or out.

"Hooooome," the pupated lizard hummed as he used his core muscles to bounce out of the way of an oncoming Energy Ball that the enemy Nuzleaf had shot at him. Then, releasing the pressurized gas that he had built up in a release pocket near the bottom of his shell, the Pupitar shot itself like a bullet at the humanoid grass pokemon, slamming it into the earth with an echoing thud. Meanwhile, Bastion was busy dancing around a much larger Hariyama, blasting the sluggish hulk with multiple Water Pulses. The bigger pokemon couldn't keep up, and slowly but surely, the reverberations from the Water Pulses were beginning to have an effect on his cognition as he continued to try and swat down the turtle, but to no avail.

"Keep it up, Bastion!" Cody shouted out to his pokemon. "And Colossal, stay on your feet-err… shell! That thing's got a nasty bite." He beamed with pride as his pokemon continued their battle. As of late, his older pokemon didn't even require as many verbal commands to perform from, showing that they were indeed getting smarter and more battle-savvy. Over the last few weeks, every one of his monsters (save Elesa, who was still recovering from a broken leg, thanks to Casper's Granbull) was showing great progress, including Antonia, who would soon be cleared to fight competitively once her armor growth was complete. In turn, Cody was very proud of his monsters, though perhaps a tad too overconfident. As a result, he had been making larger bets against trainers for more prize money, and he had been taking on trainers who had been on the road significantly longer than he had. With the exception of Jared (whom while Cody did better against, he still couldn't beat) the young trainer was winning too many battles for his own good and as a result, his head was beginning to swell.

"Body Slam to the Hariyama!" Cody ordered. The pupa blasted its body into the sumo pokemon's stomach and knocked it onto its back. Like clockwork, Bastion jumped into the air, pulled into his shell, and Aqua Jetted himself into the Hariyama's face. The big opponent blacked out, as did the Nuzleaf beneath him.

"Yes! Good work boys!" Cody congratulated with fresh excitement. Even though he had been winning a lot lately, he still got the same, sweet rush of happiness when he won. He entered the plot a gave the Pupitar a strong pat on the back of his shell so that the thick-skinned pokemon would feel his appreciation.

"Hoooome," Colossal hummed in response, leaning against his trainer in joy. Bastion joined the two in their celebration until the losing trainer gave Cody his winnings and departed.

"Do we kick ass, or do we kick ass?" Cody asked smugly as Heather and Jared joined him.

"Well… you won, I guess, but seriously, calm down. That girl didn't even look like she knew what she was doing," Jared brought up in his matter of fact voice.

"Okay, maybe," Cody agreed, shrugging. "But still, that Hariyama was tough. Hell, I don't even know if I'll need the whole team for the Terra Badge. Bastion and Colossal are tough enough as is."

"Cody, I wouldn't count out the next gym just yet," Jared said, his voice tired with the back and forth already. "Martin Hornsby is no slouch. When I faced him in a second tier battle, I lost pretty badly. The man is a veteran. He almost beat Champion Richard Kaiser last year with his best pokemon in their best out of five series for the title. He knows his stuff."

"Oh relax, I'll be fine. I beat Eagle and Ian, didn't I? This guy-"

"Okay Cody, truth time: How many trainers in their forties have you battled?"

The conversation temporarily ended while Cody thought. In truth, most trainers in his tier level were young like him, while typically, older trainers were at a higher level if they started early. "Umm… I don't know. About ten or so?"

"And how many of them had been training pokemon since they were kids?" Jared asked.

"How should I know? I just wanted a battle, not a life story!" Cody shot back, getting annoyed at these questions.

"Look, all I'm saying is that older trainers have a degree of wisdom to add to their general skills. It will catch you off guard if you're not ready."

"Fine, fine, you win, I'll calm down," Cody groaned.

"Thank Arceus, I thought I'd have to separate you two again," Heather said, her voice slightly irritated at the constant arguing. "You guys wanna get lunch?"

"Yeah, I would, but I need to check on Elesa, see if the cast is finally off. You guys go on without me," Cody responded. The three went their separate ways, and unfortunately for Cody, the conversation had been a waste on Jared's part, as the words went in one ear and out the other.

* * *

"She's doing well!" the cheery nurse told Cody while he was reviewing Elesa's medical sheet. "The fracture has healed up nicely, and we'll take the cast off today. She'll be battle ready by the morning.

"Neeeaaaiiigh!" the Zebstrika whinnied in response as if she had understood the good news. Cody reached out and touched her nose, and the horse nuzzled her trainer in return.

"Thanks ma'am. I really appreciate it," Cody replied as he handed the medical clipboard back to the nurse. He gave Elesa one last pat on the head before allowing the nurse to take her to the backrooms again.

"Well that's a relief," Cody said to himself. He had been very worried when he heard the news that the Granbull had broken Elesa's leg, but lucky for him, the genetics of pokemon, combined with modern medicine made the healing process quick and easy. Sometimes, it seemed as if his monsters were immortal.

Feeling a bit hungry, the young trainer went over to the pokemon center's food court and looked at the selection. It didn't take long before he made the decision to buy two slices of pizza and a bottle of orange juice for lunch. All the while he was waiting for his meal, Jared's words reemerged in his brain, but Cody pushed them back. Why was Jared trying to help him? He had made it clear that the two of them weren't friends. Or maybe he was trying to discourage him?

"Ugh, I don't get him anymore," Cody muttered to himself. "Besides, I'm fine. We've been doing really well lately." After picking up his food, he sat down at a lone table, began to eat his food, and watched another table of trainers chattering amongst themselves as they ate to his right. These trainers were all girls, roughly his age, and mildly attractive. _Hmm… Maybe I should join THAT group._ Taking a sip of his drink, he turned forward again, only to become paralyzed in shock at what he saw.

It was that old fortune teller, Madame Stella. Upon seeing the old woman, draped shawls, he was about to shout, but he ended up choking on his juice instead.

"It's customary to finish your food before speaking," the gray-haired woman rasped while staring at him with her one good eye. When Cody finally managed to get the liquid out of his windpipe, he finally began talking.

"You scared the shit out of me," he wheezed. But once regaining his composure, his face grew more serious. Being stalked had a way of doing that to a person. "And I thought I told you to stay away from me. I'm calling the police." Calmly, he reached for his cell phone, but he noticed that it wasn't in his right pocket where he normally kept it, nor was it in his left pocket. "Where is my-"

"Looking for this?" The old crone held up his mobile device in her wrinkled hand. Cody just stared blankly, mouth agape. How did she manage to take it from him without him noticing?

"How- how did you-"

"You'll get it back after we've had our little chat," she answered putting the cell phone back from where she pulled it from.

"First you follow me against my will, then you steal my things. I don't even know why I'm putting up with this. I'm-"

"Going to make another scene?" Stella interrupted him sternly. "Why should anyone believe you? I'm a defenseless old woman! What could I possibly do to you?"

"You-" Cody stopped himself before he could continue arguing. This old woman seemed to be as slippery as smoke, always appearing where he was whenever he had a nightmare with the "Dark One" as she called the voice in his head. Whatever he did, he was sure at this point that she would just keep coming back. Relaxing his arched back and shoulders, he sat back down in the chair and sighed. "Okay, fine, I'll play your game, Stella. What could you possibly tell me right now that I need to hear?"

"I have nothing to say to you at the moment," she answered, much to his discontent. "However, I noticed your presence growing strong within my soul, so I came to see you. It's very odd for that presence to grow strong during the daytime."

"Yeah…" Cody replied softly. It was weird. The few times that Madame Stella had visited him, it had been during the night after he had a nightmare. But he had not even had an extensive experience recently. Only brief and meaningless visitations. "That thing… it hasn't been coming for long visits lately, and I didn't have one today-"

"Of course you didn't visit you today," Stella spat, "the Dark One can only visit the dreams of those he has marked when the sun is not up where you are. Obviously."

"When the sun is- wait, what?" Cody sputtered in disbelief as he took in the withered woman's words. "I only get those nightmares at night! Why didn't you tell me that earlier? I could have-"

"I told you when I first met you!" she replied angrily. "You never listen! I told you to sleep lightly and with the sun out!"

"Yes, but- but you were scaring the hell out of me! How was I supposed to know?" Regardless of what he had heard or not heard, this revelation suddenly made sense. Since the group had been traveling more during the night to avoid that other person that was stalking Cody, they had been sleeping more during the day. "Well, whatever the case, why did you sense me now if nothing happened?"

"It is a mystery, isn't it?" she replied cryptically, cocking her head and frowning even deeper than she normally did. "He may be coming tonight. Be wary of his presence."

"Or, I can stay awake until morning and avoid him completely." Cody suggested slyly, but Stella just glared at him. "Thanks for the advice, I guess."

"You're a foolish child," she scoffed. "He may have something of value to say to you, and you wish not to hear him? Face the darkness without fear!"

"Why?" Cody shot back. "He has nothing more to say to me! He already wants to rule the world or some Tauros shit. That pretty much sums up what he wants from me!"

"You don't want to learn more?" she asked, dumbfounded. "I thought young people cared about learning."

"Well sure, maybe if I liked being visited by strange beings in their sleep…" Cody muttered under his breath. "I don't understand why he even bothers with the shorter, pointless visits…"

"Because whenever he visits your mind, he becomes more in tune with your physical body," the woman answered him sharply.

"Yes, he told me that already, but… wait, why can't you tell me his plans?"

"Because his exact plans are a mystery to me at the moment," Stella breathed. "All I can tell you is that it will be worth your while to meet with him tonight. Who knows. Maybe if you thank him for saving you from that man who has been following you, he'll share something extra with you."

Cody opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, feeling that reoccurring mixture of frustration and confusion. But finally, he said, "I'm not even going to ask how you know about that… really though… can you answer me this? Who is this 'Dark One?'" But Madame Stella just shook her head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Most people have not. And while you've experienced him, first hand, I'd expect you to be the same." Something was off about the hag's face as she had said this. For the first time in Cody's experience, her face reflected sadness. A sadness that had been carried for many a decade and was finally emerging.

Cody groaned, and leaned his face into his hand, still as lost as ever. "Perfect…" he muttered. _I wouldn't believe you? Considering all this mental crap, I doubt that… _"Can you tell me anyway?" he asked as he looked up, but the mysterious crone had disappeared, as if she had simply teleported away.

Cody sighed once more. Every time the old woman or the voice in the darkness answered his questions, they just left him with more questions. But as he stood up to through his trash away, it hit him: Madame Stella never gave him back his cell phone.

"That bitch," he hissed under his breath, but as he clenched his fist, he felt something in his pocket. He pulled it out and realized that it was his phone. It had returned. _How the hell did she do that?  
_

* * *

"I was hoping you'd return sooner. I've been itching to discuss your mission with you," Father Ezekiel said to the dark haired man that was kneeling before him.

"My apologies, Father," Casper whispered humbly. "But I had to lay low. The police know my face now, and I've been discrete as of late because of that. I didn't want them to make the connection between us."

"Yes," Ezekiel said, stroking his short beard with his index finger. "You are forgiven for your failings, my child. I guess this Cody Storm has been underestimated."

"It was an outlier," the snatcher grunted. "I know I can capture him."

"I'm sure you can," the older man replied in confidence. "But we will be changing our strategy. Instead of playing cat and mouse with this trainer, we will let him walk directly to us. It's only a matter of time, and that's a luxury we have a lot of at the moment. For now, retire to the I.I. headquarters and remain there until the heat on your head dies down."

"Yes Father," Casper answered respectfully. He stood up and left the room, almost as quietly as he entered.

"Cody Storm…" Ezekiel said to himself as he sat down at his desk again. "You have revealed one of my best snatchers. Quite a thorn in my side, you are." He reached over to his loyal Houndoom's head, and slowly stroked it, while grinning to himself. "No matter. The risk is worth the reward."

* * *

_Falling asleep was difficult, given that he knew what was waiting for him, but eventually, Cody met up with the sandman, and after a brief, dreamless sleep, he was once again in the dark, empty void that he had grown accustomed to. However, this time, he was unafraid. He remembered Stella telling him not to be afraid, and somehow, her words were actually empowering him. Whatever the thing was, he was ready to face it._

_ "Hmmmmm," the voice hummed in a deep, yet toneless voice. "It's been awhile since somebody has been so eager to see me. If I had the metaphorical 'heart' that you humans speak of, I'm sure it would feel so warm and fuzzy right about now."_

_ "Yeah, yeah…" Cody mumbled as he sat down and stared into the grey eyes before him. "It has been awhile, hasn't it?"_

_ "Yes, too long for my tastes," the voice agreed. "Of course, it's partly your fault. You've been traveling by night and sleeping by day… not a combination that I like, but I'm so glad that we're talking, I won't punish you for it."_

_"Gee, thanks," Cody said sarcastically, though still trying to stay on the Dark One's good side. "But there were opportunities in which you could visit me… why didn't you?"_

_ "Because I have many things to do. Being a being of the spirit realm is no picnic. Do not think you are so important that I have to spend every waking, or in your case, sleeping minute with you. But I'm flattered that you missed me, Cody." The last part was announced in obvious sarcasm. _

_ "Whatever you want to think," Cody muttered, feeling his muscles relax. So far, this had been their most comfortable conversation yet. "By the way… I guess I should thank you… you know, for waking me that one time. If you didn't, that Casper guy in the Cipher outfit would have captured me for sure. Who knows what would have happened if he did, you know?"_

_ "Don't think I did it because I like you," the Dark One replied in place of a simple "you're welcome." "If this were a chess game, I'd do what I could to protect the queen, now wouldn't I?"_

_ "Don't you mean the king?" Cody asked innocently, but he was answered with a powerful backhand across the face, cracking his nose. "So much for a peaceful evening," he thought to himself after yelping in pain._

_ "How dare you," the voice said in a calm, but angered voice. "You are not the king, for while you are a powerful piece in my plan, you are disposable! Don't you ever forget that! And besides…" There was a pause as the grey eyes of the void seemed to slant even more. "I am the King. Understand?"_

_"Completely," Cody replied, his tone dark, though he knew the voice would not be threatened. "I just wish… I knew what was going on. This is all so confusing to me. Every time you or Stella appear, you always leave me with more questions, and-"_

_"I told you not to speak with her!" the voice shouted in a fiery rage, as a circle of flames surrounded Cody. "I know you've been asking her questions! She is a useless woman to both of us, and if I could, I would have ended her pathetic life years ago!"_

_"If she's so useless, why are you so afraid of her?" Cody questioned, only to get slugged in the stomach by a large, black fist from the voice's infinite appendages._

_ "Does a Gyarados fear a Seedot?" it asked with arrogance. "What concerns me are the ideas that she puts in your head! That you should not fear me! That you should oppose me! The sooner you accept me, the better. For if you don't, you will suffer for as long as you shall live. Perhaps even longer…"_

_ "Perhaps even- Wait, what? What do you mean by that?" the teen asked, feeling his teeth chatter slightly. After the flames had died down, he felt a bone-chilling old in the vastness. "Are you… are you some sort of god?"_

_ "Hmph, I almost was," the voice scoffed, annoyed at the question, though apparently not annoyed enough to hit his victim. "But if I told you, would you even believe me?"_

_ "Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore," Cody whispered, as he looked down at the ground (though it only looked like more empty, infinite, black space.) But then, his head shot up from the feeling of déjà vu. "You know, Stella said the same thing to me about you. That I wouldn't believe her if she told me what you were."_

_ "Yes, and you wouldn't have," the Dark One said gravely. "But of course she wouldn't tell you. Do you know how ostracized she became from what were her friends and family? No. Of course you don't. It's scarred her beyond any heartbreak you have ever experienced." A hand emerged from the void and tilted Cody's face towards the colorless eyes. "But I can oblige you today. Do you really want to know who I am, Cody Michael Storm?"_

_ "Yes." The answer was sure and swift. At the response, the grip on the boy's chin tightened._

_ "Are you quite sure? Perhaps there truly are things better left unsaid."_

_ "I can handle it," Cody replied, a straight sternness in his voice. "If you plan on forcing me to do your bidding, I would like to know who I'm working for." But simultaneously, he was praying that he the truth would not be as dangerous as Stella had made it out to be. If it made Stella the way she was... would it drive him to insanity as well?  
_

_ "Very well," the Dark One announced. "But be warned: once I tell you, you shall never forget this night, no matter how hard you try. For many who have learned my name have tried in vain to begin with." Silence ensued for a few seconds that felt like minutes. But after the dramatic pause, the voice spoke again in a deep, regal tone. "My name is Akomni Somnota."_

_ Cody stared into the space before him, and blinked. The name meant nothing to him. "Who?"_

_ "It is my name from the ancient times," the voice explained calmly. "It is from the ancient language of Pocraise. A language that most humans and pokemon have forgotten. It literally translates as 'Darker Dream.' But that is okay that you do not know that, as many do not. But as it is with those who have lost their true names to the claws of time, I have many names now. I have been called the Dark One, the Dream Reaper, the Eternal Void, the Black Fog… hundreds of names throughout all languages. Humans and pokemon alike fear my presence, and how fitting these fears truly are. I can lead any soul to eternal torment, in this realm and the next. Once I have found you, there is no escape. Should you resist, you will be driven to madness. And you shall be no different if you choose to act belligerently!"_

_"Wow…" Cody stuttered nervously. The description, while confusing, could only terrify him. Every last word had brought an individual chill to his spine, and his eyes had widened to a great extreme. But he still was ignorant. Who was this beast of the darkness that was so interested in him? What was it about him that could destroy people if he had no direct influence on the physical world?  
_

_ Looking into the eyes of the being before him, he began to say, "I… how… I'm sorry, but I… I still don't understand. That description is so vague. I still don't know who or what you are exactly."_

_ "Then allow me to answer you in three words that you will understand," the voice said in a gleeful evilness as two hands touched his cheeks and pulled him forward to a faceless mouth that smiled with its night-black jaws. "I am… Darkrai!"  
_

His eyes widened as he stared at the ceiling of the pokemon center's dormitory. That dream… every dream with this being felt real, but this one felt beyond real. It was almost as if he had a religious experience and he had seen the face of God. But it wasn't a god. It was something else. _Darkrai… what is Darkrai? _He had heard the name before, but he couldn't remember where. It sounded like something from mythology. Once the adrenaline eased its flow, he shifted his body off the bed, pulled his pants from the day before, slipped into his shoes, and left the dormitory.

The entrance room of the pokemon center was still open, but nobody was there except the nurses and doctors who were on call at the late hour. Ignoring them, Cody walked over to the computers that were set up for trainer use, and pulled up Wikipedia on the web browser. _Now… how do I spell Darkrai? _Surprising himself, he got it right on the first try.

The page that was pulled up showed an artist's interpretation of the being, portraying it as a black, floating form, shaped like an hourglass with jagged edges, a red necklace-like structure around its shoulders, and what looked to be long white hair. Suddenly, it was all coming back to him. He had seen a similar picture in a mythology text, but he thought nothing of it at the time. Under the picture was a list of names, including the ones that the Dark One gave to himself. _Darkrai is a mythological entity that has appeared in various religions and mythology, including ancient Arcean texts. It is said to be the herald of nightmares._

_ Already figured that,_ Cody thought to himself grimly. He scrolled down to the mythology section of the article, and continued to read. _While the mythology of Darkrai varies from text to text and culture to culture, it is always regarded as a mysterious and cold being that brings about torment through the dreams of the living, playing a counterpart to Cresselia, the herald of dreams. While descriptions of Darkrai's appearance vary, Arcean scrolls describe the being as being ghost like appearance, with a malicious disposition to match, though it is also described as a necessary evil, since without his existence, there is no balance. It is unknown if this being was considered by ancient people to be a god, a pokemon, a spirit, or something else entirely. Darkrai…_

Cody had began to shudder violently at the words. They should not have been so terrifying, but from what he had experienced, what was a myth to some was completely real to him, and he would be rather alone in this belief. Ignoring the rest of the mythos section, he scrolled through the page until he found a section titled "Real Life Encounters." _Despite the many people throughout time claiming that they have encountered Darkrai, no physical evidence of any type has ever been found to suggest that such a being truly exists. There have been numerous people who have claimed to have seen Darkrai in their dreams, but this does not provide evidence for the existence of the being either. There have also been varying accounts of individuals losing their grip on reality in their claims that Darkrai is haunting them, but this is typically believed to be the work of other mental diseases, such as schizophrenia. A curious thing however is that there are some who have claimed to see Darkrai in their dreams without prior knowledge of the being. While some Jungian psychologists believe this could be the work of the collective unconscious, it is widely accepted that the individuals had seen an image of Darkrai previously and had-_

_ "_Cody, what are you doing up?" A hand touched his shoulder, and he lurched violently.

"Holy!" The teen felt his stomach back flip as he turned around to see Heather in her white nightgown, looking almost as surprised as he did, though for not as much reason. "Don't do that! I almost shit myself!"

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized tensely, "I just noticed that you were gone, so I came to see if…" Her voice trailed off as her focus trailed off as her focus shifted to the computer. Curiously, she asked, "what are you looking up at three in the morning?"

"Nothing, just-" It was too late. She pushed him and the wheeled chair he sat in to the side and began to scroll through the page, confused at what was there.

"What's a Darkrai?" she asked, obviously not affected in the same way he had been.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing, so I decided to look it up, and-"

"Cut the crap, Cody," she ordered, sternly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I just felt… I just felt like reviewing my mythology, that's all." He smiled, but his falseness was sensed immediately.

"Cody, you have many talents, but lying isn't one of them," the brunette said, looking him dead in the eyes with all seriousness. "No more lies. No more secrets. What is this about? And don't say 'nothing,' because I can tell that's not the case."

He was really between a rock and a hard place at that moment. Heather had been so supporting throughout their travels, but would she believe him? He wouldn't believe it if he didn't know any better, so why would she? But if he lied, she would see through him like a spotless window. The way he saw it, he only had one option.

"Fine… But you will never believe me…" Slowly, he began to recount the tale of the old gypsy and the voice that haunted his dreams. While Heather listened patiently, she never showed an inch of disbelief though she did seem to have a difficult time comprehending all that was being said. At the end of his long and mysterious yarn, there was a strange stillness between the two.

But finally, Heather asked, "And this… this has been happening since we met up in the mountains north of Kindle City?"

"Yes…"

"Cody…" she began in a fearful voice, "I believe that you believe in what you saw, but… this can't be real. It's just… it's just too weird. Maybe you should see somebody about this. A psychologist or a-"

"So you don't believe me," Cody stated bitterly, but Heather shook her head and continued.

"No… it's just that you've been under a lot of stress with your family issues, and your training, and… you never sleep as much ever since you caught Antonia, and you have that guy following you… Maybe you're just stressing to the point that you're imagining things?"

"No, that can't be!" Cody shot back. "That crazy lady Madame Stella! I saw her! She's real and she knows about this! And I met her before I was having these problems! Maybe-"

"But Cody, I've never seen her! Neither had Jared! What if… what if you're just imagining her too?" Though she tried to ask the question delicately, it frustrated Cody even more.

"No! When we were in Kito Grove, she was there, and the people in the pokemon center were looking at us when I started yelling, and-"

"Or they were looking because you were shouting at nothing?" she questioned.

_Damn… I never thought of that. Maybe she's right. Could she be right? Could I just be losing it? Could I be like the schizophrenic people mentioned in the article? _But then another memory came to mind. "No, other people saw her! I remember when I met her in Kindle and she scared me away. Some guy came up and asked if I was alright, and he said that Stella was crazy. He saw her too!"

"Or maybe you made him up too?" Heather asked. But Cody had had enough.

"Look, just say I'm crazy already! I know you're thinking it!" he shouted, catching glances from the center's staff.

"No, no! Please Cody!" Heather hushed, her eyes showing her helplessness. "I'm just so worried for you. I don't want you to lose yourself to this dream you're having. Please… I'm begging you… next chance you get, talk to a professional about this. Please?"

"And what? Take even more medication for my messed up mind? I don't think so," Cody grunted, crossing his arms. "I'd rather-"

"Cody…" Heather clutched both of his hands, squeezing them with what seemed to be Machamp-like strength. "Please… for me."

He looked into her chocolate brown eyes and the guilt welled up in him. He couldn't say no to the girl who had defended him so many times before. The least he could do was humor her. "Fine. I'll do it. But on one condition: you don't tell anybody about this, Jared included."

"Cody, no secr-"

"Heather, please don't feed me that garbage," Cody interrupted bitterly. "I don't want him knowing. It'll be our secret." The look he gave Heather was one of purest and utmost desperation. After about thirty seconds, she slowly nodded her head. "Thank you."

"Your welcome…" she whispered, following her words with a tight hug. It was so strange hugging Heather when she was wearing so little. But at the same time, it made him feel a warm and guilty pleasure. "I really shouldn't… but I guess since you didn't even want to tell me…"

"Yeah, yeah," he whispered into her ear. "Let's get back to sleep. We got ground to cover in the morning."

"Alright… if you have any more dreams, tell me. You have me here with you. _You'll always have me._"

"Yes ma'am," he joked softly. She giggled before loosening her grip and the two walked back to the dormitory.

No secrets… he was breaking the rule, not only to Jared, but Heather too. There was one thing he had forgotten to tell her: his pokemon had seen Stella too. When they did, they had shivered. He knew he didn't imagine that. For him, it was evidence enough that he still had a bit of sanity left. Madame Stella was real. Therefore, the voice… Darkrai… he was also real. He knew the truth, but even so, the Dark One was right: some things were really better off unsaid.

* * *

** Honestly, who figured it was Darkrai? I felt I was being pretty obvious about it, but whatever. It's not too cryptic, but the plot thickens, and reviews are appreciated. Until next time, happy training!**


	26. Chapter 26: Hubris

**Yup, it seems that most of the readers figured it was Darkrai. No real harm done to the story though. Or so I hope. Just hope y'all just ain't playing the hindsight bias card on me.**

_**From the Zogg**__: Also, while it was obvious it was Darkrai the you sometimes described him differently than normal to throw us off. Darkrai was described very H.P Lovecraft like. Was that on purpose? Because Cody's guidebook linked Darkrai to Jungism aka Carl Jung who came up with stuff to similar Lovecraft. It seems like more foreshadowing to me. _

**Differently than normal? How so? I looked him up on Bulbapedia, and I did notice that the anime portrays him as a misunderstood, emo pokemon or whatever. I was aiming more for the Mystery Dungeon portrayal of him, while trying to add my own flavor. Also, I've never read any of Lovecraft's books (I really should read Call of Cthulhu) but I'm flattered you see a resemblance. As for Jungism, I just used some factoids out of one of my pysch books.**

* * *

**Cody**: Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick)

**Heather**: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Oddish), Flash (Trapinch)

**Jared**: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Gastly, Fearow, Onix

**Chapter 26: Hubris**

Loamford City, home of the Terra Badge, was a handsome city in the midst of the Rumbling Mountains. The city had a well to do economy from the coal that was mined there, as well as a strong community of earth trainers that met to hone their craft under the powerful and respected Martin Hornsby. Hornsby was many things: gym leader, Diamond Beach Champion of 1989, and an expert on earth pokemon. But even though he was an aging man in his mid-forties, he was the kind of man that any trainer would emulate. He started training pookemon as a child, and continued to perfect his craft for decades. Even though he was older, he still showed his inner youth on the battlefield on a daily basis, whether he was having a gym battle, or he was facing the pokemon champion himself. Martin Hornsby: a man that every trainer wanted to be… or in Cody's case, wanted to beat.

But in the midst of his next gym battle, something else plagued Cody's mind: Darkrai… just the thought of the Dark One gave the young trainer shivers. But he refused to be permanently shaken. _If he's a monster, I'll be the one to put him in his place._ Therefore, Cody was driven to train even harder, pushing his pokemon to their best and defeating trainers left and right. He wasn't about to let a dark spirit or some mysterious organization best him. And the best way to put his foot down and announce that he was unshaken was to earn his third badge. But whenever the day turned to night, his disposition would alter like how the sun was replaced with the moon and stars. Even his newly found determination couldn't keep his mind even.

The day he arrived in Loamford City, he was set to face a pre-trainer, a slightly older boy, in order to get his chance at Hornsby. The two of them went to one of the basement levels of the gym, which was essentially a cave, given the stalactites and Zubat that were present. Though he had never battled in a cave before, Cody grinned smugly at his opponent. _We got this._

"Go!" both trainers shouted as they sent their pokemon onto the field to do battle. Bastion emerged from his pokeball, the courageous Wartortle looking eager as ever to fight. His opponent was a much smaller pokemon: an orange crab with claws, beady eyes and a shell made out of rock. _What pokemon is that again? _he thought to himself. _A Crustle? A Dwebble?_

"Dwebble, Rock Blast!"

_Okay, there it is. _But he had no time to contemplate, as the hermit crab began to make horizontal slashes at the rock slab below him, cutting away at the bedrock and sending sharp shards of stone at the turtle. Bastion easily dodged the shards before blasting the crab with water. The Dwebble was too slow to dodge the blast, but its hard shell absorbed most of the blow. Even so, the crab looked more pissed than weakened that it had been hit.

"Bastion, Aqua Jet!" The Wartortle pulled into his shell and shot himself like a cannonball at the crab, but the opponent was a fast thinker.

"Faint Attack!" The Dwebble shifted to the side, hopped into the air, and drove the Wartortle downward with a powerful blow from its claw, causing Bastion to skid across the cave floor. "Now Bug Bite!" Once the Wartortle reemerged, he seemed shaken from the misdirected attack, but he was unable to recover as the hermit crab latched itself onto the turtle's shell and dug its teeth into the back of Bastion's neck. The Wartortle yelped and struggled, but he couldn't shake off the foe or retreat into his shell. Cody sighed. Even though Wartortle was getting smarter in his battle sense, he still needed help to overcome certain dilemmas.

"Rapid Spin!" Even though the turtle pokemon couldn't pull his head into his shell, he still managed to pull in the rest of his appendages before spinning his shell at a fast enough pace to de-latch the crab and send it flying into the floor. As Bastion stood up, Cody noticed a puffy, red mark were the crab was biting. "Aqua Jet again!" This time, the crab was not ready for a preemptive strike, and it took a direct blow to the face from the shooting shell. The crab clamped its claws around the Wartortle's wrists once the turtle popped out of its shell again, drawing more blood. But this proved to be a foolish move, as it put it at point blank range for Bastion's Bubblebeam. The exploding bubbles did hurt Bastion some (though he was pretty resistant to water attacks), but the rock pokemon he was tangled with took most of the attack, and it was enough to knock it unconscious, though its claws were still clamped on the turtle's wrists.

"Good effort, Dwebble!" the opponent called out before returning the crab to its pokeball. "But water won't always trump rock pokemon, my friend. Go Omastar!"

Cody grinned as the next enemy pokemon appeared. He had never fought a pokemon that had been resurrected from fossil DNA before, so this was a real treat that challenged his inexperience. The nautilus pokemon had a gray, spiral shell with spikes, a squid-like beak, and plenty of slimy tentacles. It was a fearsome beast, but neither Cody, nor Bastion were afraid.

"Bastion, Bubblebeam!" The turtle shot a ray of bubbles at the foe, but instead of being knocked back, the Omastar formed its body with its shell to make a wheel, and rolled through the bubbles, knocking the Wartortle over like a bowling pin. Once Bastion was back on his feet, he just narrowly dodged the rolling pokemon as it came at him a second time. On the third time, he used Protect, and the Omastar bounced off his force field, but it kept rolling, even faster. The next hit would surely hurt even more if Bastion could not avoid it.

"Bastion, Aqua Jet!" It was a risky move, but it somewhat paid off. The turtle's shell flew from the jets of water at the rolling fossil, and the two collided, trading momentum and flying backwards from each other. When they both stood up, both monsters seemed woozy from the collision, but Cody had unknowingly left his opponent in an advantageous position.

"Spike Cannon!" The nautilus shot the rocky spikes on its back wildly. At first, Cody thought this was just a sloppy move, since the dizzy Omastar did not come close to hitting Bastion. However, the spikes hit the ceiling, shaking several stones loose to fall from the cave above. The Wartortle tried to evade the falling rocks, but was hit by a few, allowing the Omastar to get up close and wrap its tentacles around the turtle's shell before biting him in the same place where the Dwebble had bitten him. Bastion tried to shake the fossil pokemon off with a Rapid Spin, but the suction cups of the nautilus were too strong to escape from. "Keep biting him!"

Cody was at a loss. Bastion wouldn't be able to out-grapple an Omastar, and eventually, the biting and his struggling would wear him out. _New plan… but what?_ Then his mind began to put together another scenario. He noticed that the spikes on the Omastar's rocky shell were slowly growing back. Then he looked at the floor and the ceiling. Both were made of rock that was easily chipped away. Perhaps he could use the Omastar's strengths as a weakness.

"Bastion, Water Gun at the ground!" The turtle pokemon blasted the ground with water, launching both of them to the ceiling of the cave. The spikes on the shell of the Omastar had penetrated the soft cave ceiling, and the fossil pokemon was stuck. In a panic, it flailed about, allowing Bastion to escape its clutches. However, instead of falling to the floor, the Wartortle managed to cling onto a nearby stalactite. Cody was about to call for his pokemon to drop down and take the Omastar down with a Water Pulse, but the turtle went far beyond that. As the Wartortle's fluffy tail glowed silver, it used its arm strength to horizontally swing around the stalactite and smack the Omostar straight on the beak. The nautilus made a choking sound upon impact, and it was broken loose from the stone. With a thud, it slammed into the floor, unable to pull itself up.

"Bastion…" Cody murmured once the turtle fell fro the ceiling and landed on its feet like a cat. "That was… that-"

"Huah!" the Wartortle responded proudly, sharing the same, smug smile as his trainer. Cody's confidence was contagious, since like pokerus, it was spreading among his pokemon.

The opposing trainer's confidence was beginning to fade. While his pokemon had injured Bastion greatly, the turtle had easily beaten his foes with strength and ingenuity. Brains mixed with brawn was a beautiful recipe, and the opponent could see that he was being outclassed in both departments. However, he continued with his third pokemon: a brown, black-striped crocodile that stood on two legs, making it somewhat taller than the Wartortle. But even this final pokemon couldn't intimidate Cody, or his pokemon.

"Krokorok! Sand Tomb!" The croc let out a roar as it ran around Bastion on all fours, avoiding the Water Guns, and using its connection with the earth to stir up miniature sand whirlwinds. The little sandstorms weren't very dangerous, but they were chipping away at what was left of the turtle's stamina. But he wasn't ready to drop yet.

"Water Gun!" Bastion sent a fifth blast of water at the Krokorok, just barely missing it. _Damn, this alligator is faster than it looks._ But it was too close a call for the opposing trainer.

"Torment!" he ordered. In a flash, the croc stepped forward and whipped the turtle with just the tip of its tail. This barely seemed to hurt the Wartortle physically, but it did hurt him mentally. It was as if the desert croc was insulting the turtle, saying that he wasn't a threat.

"Water Gun!" Cody commanded, but Bastion either didn't hear him, or didn't care, now that he was enraged and not thinking rationally. The Wartortle used Aqua Jet, only to be smacked away into the whirling sands, like a baseball against a baseball bat when colliding with the Krokorok's tail. "No, Water Gun!" Again, the turtle didn't listen. With a glowing tail, he tried to smack the crocodile with an Iron Tail, but the brown reptile read the move like a book. Sidestepping the move, he had an opening to attack once Bastion hit the ground, clamping his jaws around the shell, and violently shaking its victim.

"Bastion, focus! Rapid Spin!" The long-eared turtle finally listened to his trainer and spun in his shell and escaped the jaws of his attacker, and then tackled the crocodile through a collision to the stomach. Unfortunately, this was only benefiting the foe.

"There we go! Assurance!" Invigorated from the hit he had received, the Krokorok grunted loudly before smashing its skull into the chest of the turtle's shell, a black glow surrounding his head while doing so. It was almost as if he was returning the favor with his attack. In a last ditch effort to hold his own, Bastion shot a blast of water into the croc's chest, but the foe seemed unfazed as he charged again, grabbing the Wartortle by the neck and hurling him across the battle plot. Bastion had finally been brought down.

"Good effort, buddy!" Cody shouted out, returning his first pokemon to his pokeball. Even this loss didn't scare him. He still had two monsters left, and the Krokorok, while tough, wouldn't take much longer to bring down in his estimation. Hell, he wouldn't even need two pokemon to do it. "Wrap this up, Colossal! Body Slam!"

The blue, pupated lizard shot out of his pokeball and immediately blasted its body at the Krokorok. Even though the gasses in his pressurized chambers shot him at an incredible speed, the crocodile easily evaded the blast at an even faster speed. It was strange: even though the croc had taken a few hits from Bastion, he seemed faster and stronger since taking the turtle out. But the playing field was even now. The cave was an environment that suited the Pupitar, and the little dust devils that the Krokorok had brewed up didn't seem to hurt Colossal in the slightest.

"Screech!" Cody shouted, adjusting his tactics appropriately. The Pupitar let out a deep pitched, but booming voice that echoed throughout the cave, catching glances from the other trainers and their pokemon that were working in the lower caverns. But the screech had done its job, leaving the crocodile in a vulnerable, defenseless state from the noise. Taking advantage of the situation, Colossal hopped up into the air and his collision with the stone shot several small boulders up from below the rocky floor, almost as if they were balls of liquid forming out of the stones below. Then, he blasted himself forward, with the boulders in tow and smashed into the much smaller pokemon. The desert reptile had taken a major blow, but it was back on its feet again, and it was trying to grapple with the pupated pokemon, though he had difficult dealing any physical damage that way.

"Thrash!" both trainers shouted simultaneously, and both the Krokorok and Pupitar began to take swings at each other. It was interesting watching Colossal perform the move, with no real tail, foot, or claw to thrash with. Instead, he swiveled his body with quick and brief rotations, smacking the foe with the tops of its head and sides of his shell. But in the end, his size and physical build gave him the advantage, and he finally knocked the Krokorok onto its back.

"Get up and use Crunch!" the opposing trainer shouted desperately. But before the Krokorok was able to stand, the Pupitar smashed its body onto the crocodile's chest, which was enough to knock the reptile into a forced sleep.

"Yes! You did it!" Cody cheered. The Pupitar, knowing instinctively that the battle was over, hopped back over to his trainer and leaned his body against his trainer, humming. The pupated pokemon was never overly affectionate like some of Cody's other pokemon, but their bond was obvious to any that saw the two together. After giving his pokemon a final pat, Cody turned to the gym trainer, who was approaching him now with his clipboard.

"Good work, you passed, obviously," the older boy said. "I wrote my signature and everything. Can you do me a favor though and take this paper to Hornsby for me? I have another battle scheduled in a few minutes. We were lucky we ended so early, or I would have been late."

"Sure," Cody agreed. "Where is he?"

"He should be I his private training facility right now. It's one floor above us. Just get off the elevator and go to your left. You'll know it when you see it."

"Alright, thanks." Cody took the paper from the defeated trainer, returned Colossal to his pokeball for a good rest, and made his way to the elevators. He was in such a good mood after defeating the opponents three pokemon with his two, and he couldn't imagine Hornsby's pokemon being much more difficult in that tier level. After taking the elevator up to the next level, he followed the trainer's directions until he reached a set of double doors that looked like they had been there for a hundred years. Even the little plaque on the wall next to the doors, shining in gold with Martin Hornsby's name on it didn't detract from the ancientness of the environment. Not even bothering to knock, he pushed through the doors into the gym leader's personal gym.

The room was enormous. Cody only expected this, given that Hornsby trained several Onix and Steelix at various skill levels. The room was filled with training equipment, from a large battle plot for practice, to an obstacle course, a running track, a large pool, and what looked to be standard equipment that humans would use… if humans were typically ten feet tall. The large room echoed with the sounds of various earth pokemon in training.

From the corner of his eye, he could see some of the leader's pokemon sparring with each other, but the thing that caught his attention the most was the battle-scarred Rhydon that was punching an oversized punching bag with power and precision. Occasionally the punches shifted from just being standard punches to being incrusted in ice, fire, or electricity. This Rhydon had been tutored in various elements, potentially making him a dangerous opponent. Next to the rock rhino was a man, shouting out orders to keep his pokemon on rhythm. The man was wearing a gray hoodie, and gym shorts like a stereotypical coach would wear. His hair was cut short, and was jet black, save the graying strands near his ears and the lower parts in the back of his hairline. Despite being in his forties, the man appeared to be in good shape, like a runner would be.

"Excuse me, sir?" Cody asked over the echoing sounds of the punches. The man turned around, and Cody immediately recognized the man as Martin Hornsby (though that was obvious to him when he first entered the room). The man leader soft, brown eyes, a black beard and mustache that encircled his mouth, and an aging face that gave him a sort of distinguished quality.

"Ah…" the man started, before he cocked his head in confusion. "Who are you? Are you one of the new gym trainers?"

"No, not quite," Cody answered. "My name is Cody Storm. I'm set to challenge you for your badge in a week. The gym trainer I beat, he gave me this to give to you because he-"

"Say no more," the leader said jovially as he took the paper from him before analyzing it thoroughly. "Hmm… third tier, huh? Half of my current second tier team will graduate by then. It's going to be interesting mixing a new set. Good luck to you, Mr. Storm."

_Ha, part his second tier team? This is going to be easier than I thought. _"Thanks, but no need. I'm coming for your badge, Hornsby." Immediately, he regretted saying that, because it did sound overly arrogant and cocky. But thankfully, the gym leader was not offended, but amused, since he laughed.

"Sure you will, kid," he chuckled. "Good luck anyway. Now if you'll excuse me…" He turned back to his Rhydon and the big monster picked up the rhythm again. Knowing this was his cue to leave, the younger trainer turned around and exited the training room and returned to the lobby of the gym where a very excited Heather was chattering with a more stoic looking Jared listening to her. Obviously, she had won he pre-battle.

"Let me guess," Cody ventured once he had approached the two, "you won?"

"Easily," Heather answered, smiling. "You?"

"Take a guess," Cody teased, but his friend gathered that the answer was "yes."

"Well good for you then," she said, happily. "Looks like we'll both be out of here in a week I promise I won't hold us back a week this time."

"Awesome," Cody replied, smiling confidently.

"You guys…" Jared sighed, shaking his head. "I hope you realize that-"

"Just shut up," Cody snapped back, though not in a violent voice. "This is going to be simple."

"Says you," Jared said, looking annoyed that he had been told off again. "Cody, have you even watched any of Hornsby's battles? The man is not to be taken lightly. That Rhydon of his… it was a monster in his championship fight."

"Well lucky for me, I won't be fighting his Rhydon, no won't I?" Cody asked, chuckling at Jared's logic. "I'm ready for this."

"Well, okay then…" Jared trailed off. "Just don't be mad when I say I told you-"

"Told me what?" Cody asked, somewhat mad now. "I can be right too, you know. I was right about that Gastly. You still have it, and-"

"Shut up," Jared snarled. He had, in fact, grown attached to the purple ghost, but he didn't like to admit it. "You know what, forget it. I'm not going to bother. Let's get lunch."

"Okay, how about Pollo Loco?" Cody suggested, remembering the name from a previous conversation. "Laurence told me that it has great Mexican food. It's been awhile since I've had a good tac-"

"Cody," Heather whispered, her eyes growing wide, "don't you… don't you have something to do?"

He remembered then that he did have a prior commitment. And how beautifully Heather disguised it when bringing it up. Jared would simply believe that she was saying what she said because she wanted alone time with him. But of course, Cody knew the truth.

"Yeah," he said sullenly, his mood falling to a much lower point. "Yeah, never mind, I do have somewhere else to be. You guys go get lunch. I'll see you later." He split from the two, exited the giant gym, and heading down through the streets of Loamford. He had a promise to keep.

* * *

Dr. Irving Stall was a living, breathing, walking, talking stereotype of a psychologist if Cody ever met one. He was a graying, balding man in his early sixties, with circular glasses and a full beard. If the young trainer didn't know any better, he would have thought that the man was Sigmund Freud, minus the backwards theories.

Like Cody had promised Heather, he was visiting a psychologist, though the process was often difficult for traveling trainers. Most of the time, they were forced to continually transfer their patient files between doctors as they traveled. It was a messy process, but it wasn't uncommon for trainers to need some sort of psychological support, given all the troubles of travel. Of course, this required Cody to tell the doctor everything that was going on with his life. His medical history, his training, how he was feeling, the situation with his friends, the situation with his family, the stranger that had been following him, and reluctantly, about Madame Stella, the nightmares, and Darkrai. To most people, talking to a psychologist was unnerving, but not so much to Cody. It wasn't something he hadn't done it before. Though it was somewhat weird talking about the paranormal.

"Hmm…" the doctor mused inquisitively. "And you actually believe that this reoccurring dream is really a spirit that wants to use you for world domination?"

"Well… yeah…" Cody stammered awkwardly, "but you know, when you put it that way… it sounds moronic when you say it out loud." _Great, they're gonna lock me up in an asylum._

_ "_No, it's not actually," Stall corrected, "you aren't the first person to give this story... Well, besides the part about you being followed by an old woman. That's a new one. While I do not believe in the collective unconscious, it is interesting that so many people who have claimed to have seen Darkrai share a similar experience. There are many people who've claimed-"

"Yeah, I know, I read it on Wikipedia," Cody interrupted impatiently. "I just want to know if I'm crazy or not. I mean, I don't think I am. My pokemon saw Madame Stella too, but-"

"Mr. Storm, I don't think you're crazy," Dr. Stall said calmly, cutting the trainer off and ignoring his excuse and reason that supported his beliefs. "I think you're a very stressed young man, which is a common thing among traveling trainers. Adding the various factors of your situation, it would be strange for you to not be stressed."

"But I'm not always feeling… feeling so uncertain and scared, as if I can't do a damn thing. I mean, the only time when I'm not feeling so afraid is when I'm battling. When we're on the battlefield, my pokemon and I… I just feel like there's nothing we can't do. It's so different from when I'm dreaming. I feel helpless then. Why… why is that?"

"Hmm…" the doctor pondered. "Many talented trainers have a powerful sense of accomplishment in battle. As for why you're feeling so distressed, I think it may be because you're living at two different extremes," he answered. "Think about it. When you're battling, you feel empowered and strong. But in situations such as your family, or your dreams, you feel alone and weak. This very difference in what you feel is what will lead to such difficulties and stress."

Silence, save the ticking of the clock, was imminent. But then, Cody asked, "so what do I do?"

"Well… as far as your visions go… I would recommend you visit this psychiatrist," Dr. Stall said, handing Cody a small card with a name and phone number on it. "She's very good with further diagnosis. Perhaps she can prescribe you an anti-psychotic that-"

"No, no I can't do that. Not again," Cody begged, his eyes widening and growing fearful. "Look, I don't have a problem with medication, but I can't be trying any new drugs right now, especially when I'm on the road. When I was a kid, I was really hyper, some shrink misdiagnosed me with ADHD, and they put me on medication for it. It just ended up slowing me down way further than I should have been. The medication I'm on now, for the anger management stuff, I had to switch medications three times, and I'm taking it in minor doses now. If I start taking anything new, it could really mess up my training."

"Hmm…" the doctor hummed again. "Well then, if you won't consider medication, perhaps you should consider taking a break from training for some time and-"

"What?" Cody snapped, almost angrily in his tone. "I can't do that! I have to keep going! My parents-"

"I know what you believe. You've already told me," the doctor said empathetically. "However, I disagree that you are responsible for the deterioration of your family. All I'm asking is that maybe, you consider taking some time off to clear your head. Perhaps it will make you feel better if you do."

Cody looked down at his shoes. Taking a break could be helpful, but in his heart of hearts, he knew that Darkrai was real and that he wasn't going away, no matter what he did. No professional would be able to convince him otherwise. He just hoped he was wrong. And if he were to take a break, would he be able to get back on the road again? Many trainers who took extended rests ended up giving up the trade. "No… I won't do that. I have to keep going. If I don't, everything I've done will all be for nothing. You'll have to lock me up in a straightjacket to keep me from continuing my traveling."

"Well, I won't be recommending that," Stall replied, a small smile on his face. "So far, I have no reason to believe that you're a danger to yourself or others. And who knows. Maybe you're right and I'm wrong. Maybe you are being haunted from something beyond our world. So I will suggest this." He stood up from his chair, walked over to his desk, and pulled out a small spiral-bound notebook, and handed it to Cody, who just looked back at the doctor, confused.

"What is this for?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Look Mr. Storm, personally, I do not believe that all dreams can be interpreted to mean something, but I think this can help you. I want you to keep journal entries of your dreams. All of them, whether they be about this 'Dark One' or anything else. Maybe it will help you gain some understanding for these dreams. Maybe it will give you some feelings of control when you're feeling helpless. Can you do that for me?"

Cody looked at the notebook. How this was going to help him fight Darkrai… it couldn't. However, since nobody, not Heather, not this psychologist, believed that the 'Dark One' was real, perhaps this was the best thing to do in order to appease Irving Stall. It was better than being put on new medication or being sent home.

"Very well. I'll do it," Cody answered in a straight voice. "But only because you think it will help."

"Very good," Stall replied, smiling in his success. "Now let's talk about this voice some more. As you know, there are many people who have claimed to have heard and seen Darkrai in their dreams, but this can be brought on by many other things, such as exposure to knowledge about Darkrai in the past, combined with stress and whatnot. Allow me to go into details…"

For the rest of the session, the doctor continued to elaborate on all logical reasons unto why Darkrai didn't and couldn't exist. Cody respectfully listened and nodded at all of these reasons, but he still couldn't agree with the man. After all, while the doctor was trying to understand, he hadn't experienced the dreams themselves. He had no idea how real they felt, unlike many other dreams he had experienced. And it still didn't explain how his pokemon reacted to Madame Stella. While Stall had tried to convince him that perhaps, he imagined that too, he didn't agree. But he decided he would start keeping a dream journal. At the end of the day, perhaps it was better than nothing. But another problem sprung to his mind when he had to pay for the session at the front desk of the health clinic. Since his medical insurance was still under his parents' plan, they would know he had gone to a psychologist. He had been able to lie before about hospital visits (such as when Antonia broke his arm) to his mother, saying they were for bumps and cuts, but when she saw this… he knew she wouldn't like what she saw.

* * *

Tiffany Storm tiredly slipped into her scrubs. It was 8:10 PM, but her day was just beginning. Ever since Stone Rise North Hospital had been cutting back on employees, her shifts had been moved to the night hours. At first, it was difficult adjusting to the schedule of working all night, but then, it became a welcome change. Since Randy worked during the day and she worked during the night, it kept the two of them separated. For the time, that was a good thing. Whenever the two of them were together, they would usually end up fighting over something insignificant, such as the food, the way one of them was spending money, housework, the TV channel to watch... but the important thing they argued about constantly was Cody. That was the one thing she never quite got used to. Despite his bad attitude, Cody always provided a youthful energy to the home, and without him, she constantly felt tired and cranky. What really made things worse was that he rarely ever called home, and whenever they did talk, it usually ended with them fighting. It was the Derrick situation all over again, except the more she thought about it this time around, the more she wished she could have convinced her second son to stay in school and not become a trainer like his father… it was his fault for all of this. If he hadn't been so encouraging of Cody becoming a trainer, even after what happened with his older brother, none of this would have occurred. She could only pray that Cody wouldn't be completely sucked into the lifestyle he had chosen.

"Ugh… I need an aspirin," she muttered as she gripped her forehead. _I'll get one on the way out. _Before heading downstairs and out to work, she walked over to her laptop on the bed and checked her email as she habitually did. The only piece of mail she had was an update from her health insurance company about the payments and usage of said insurance during the past month. She opened it and began to scroll down the list, barely paying much attention to the names of her and Randy's doctors and pharmaceutical providers. But at the end of the list, she saw a name that was unfamiliar to her: Dr. Irving Stall. Looking at the details listed next to the name, she saw that the insurance use was in Loamford City. _It must be Cody. _What did he do this time? Another hiking related injury? Or something worse? Every time he used the family's health insurance, her heart would skip a beat, fearing that maybe he finally bit off more than he could chew. However, the listing wasn't specific enough, but in order to try and figure out what her son was using the health insurance for, she pulled up a second tab and ran a Google search on the name of the clinic and the doctor's name. But what she saw piqued her interest, and not in a positive way… Doctor Irving Stall was listed as a psychologist.

"Randy!" she shouted out of the room. No response, save the Hypno that peeked its head in the doorway, but teleported away when he realized that Tiffany's fear had nothing to do with him. Frustrated with her husband's lack of response, she shot up from the bed and walked briskly down the stairs to the den on the first floor where her husband was working at the family's desktop computer. "Randy, we need to talk!"

"Not now dear," he groaned as he continued to type away at the keyboard, trying to shut out another one of his wife's complaints. "I have a deadline on this article, and I have to-"

"Now!" Tiffany demanded, her hair falling to disarray.

"Fine, fine," Randy grunted as he left the keyboard and turned to his wife, an annoyed expression on his face. "What is it this time?"

"It's Cody again!" she yelled, her voice breaking in her concern, "our insurance records show that he's visited another doctor without telling us!"

For a few seconds, Randy just stared at his wife with utter confusion and disbelief. "So? Being a trainer is rough, and he knows that. He's not going to call home every time he scrapes his knee."

"He didn't see just a regular doctor this time. He went to a psychologist!"

Again, Randy just stared at her dumbly before repeating, "So?"

"So? So?" she began again, furious at Randy for not seeing things the way she did. "Randy, a psychologist! Don't you think that's a little suspicious? What if something is wrong? What if he stopped using his medication? What if he's become psychologically unbalanced while out there? What if this is the same thing that happened to Derrick, and we don't stop it while we have the cha-"

"You're overreacting," Randy sighed, shaking his head in disgust. "Trainers see psychologists all the time. I did for a little bit too. Things can be confusing, so as long as we're not getting any calls about it, I'm sure everything is just fine and normal."

"Normal? If it was so normal, why did Cody not call me to tell us that he's visiting a psychologist?"

"Gee, I don't know dear," Randy began sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "maybe he didn't want you overreacting like you are right now! Cody is a big boy and-"

"He's only fifteen!" she screeched, but her husband tried to talk over her voice.

"Sometimes kids don't want people in their business, and you've been prying an awful lot lately. Maybe if you knew that earlier, you wouldn't have pushed Derrick to the point where he left completely!"

"What?" she roared, her face turning red. "You're saying it's my fault that he never came back?"

"Maybe I am!" Randy shouted back, standing nose to nose with his wife. "Derrick was always independent! He probably got sick and tired of you prying and trying to control him! Kids need to be able to learn from their own mistakes, Tiff!"

"I just wanted my baby to be safe!" she screamed back, tears running down her face. "If Cody ends up like Derrick, or worse, I'll never forgive myself!… I'll never forgive you either!"

"Oh, because it's my fault that the kid had a dream?"

"Yes!" Tiffany shouted, her cheeks now drenched. "He was a good student! He would have stayed in school and done something useful with his life instead of running the risk of being eaten by an Ursaring! I just- I can't do it anymore!" She stormed off, ignoring her husband's pleas to listen to reason. _His reason. _His reason was the reason that her children were gone, possibly forever.

When she finally reached the garage, she fumbled with her keys before falling to her knees and crying, this time, even harder. "I can't do this anymore… I won't… I won't let my last child get swept away from me." She decided then and there that it was time for Cody to come home, no matter what it took.


	27. Chapter 27: Humility

**I am sorry that it took me this long to get this chapter up. I've been really fatigued this summer from my job. A word of advice for my readers: if you have a choice between a job in a restaurant and a job that's not in a restaurant, take the latter!**

_**Review Response:**_

_And we finally find out what Cody's medication is! I'm glad it wasn't for anything as serious as I thought. _

**I'll be honest, I was about to 86 that plot point, given that it seemed unnecessary. However, I really don't feel like being George Lucas and changing past plot points unless I really have to… speaking of which, I changed the name of Heather's Trapinch to fit better with her character. But does anybody really care about a pokemon that's only appeared in one scene and didn't even have an official name at the time? I hope not…**

* * *

Cody: Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick)

Heather: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Gloom), Smaug (Trapinch)

Jared: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Gastly, Mightyana, Jolteon

**Chapter 27: Humility**

On the day of his battle for the Terra badge, the winter had seemingly disappeared in one night. The sun was shining warmly onto the practice field in the back of the pokemon center, and a warm breeze was a welcome improvement. Such a change in the weather could only promise good things. However, these good things were already right in front of Cody as he looked on at all five members of his team.

Mars the Diglett, the second pokemon he had ever caught, was fast, strong, and unrelenting in battle, and while he was a glass cannon, he could dish out a brutal punishment to unsuspecting foes. Elesa the Zebstrika was his first pokemon that evolved. The horse, while a sweetheart, was a fierce firecracker in battle, and while she would be out of her element in a battle against earth pokemon, he knew he could count on her to destroy the competition. Cortez the Litwick was his newest addition to his team, and though he was inexperienced, he was smart enough to outdo pokemon of lesser intelligence with the knowledge of a true trickster. Then there was Colossal the Pupitar. The big, blue-shelled pupa was once a little pokemon that was afraid of anything that moved. But through constant training and encouragement, the little lizard became a powerhouse that stood strong in all battles, offensively and defensively. Finally, there was the lynchpin of his team: Bastion the Wartortle. While a simple pokemon at heart and mind, his battlefield intelligence was extraordinary. How strange that his first pokemon meshed so perfectly with Cody and his strategies. It was almost as if the two had star-crossed paths.

"You guys are going to do great today," Cody said to his pokemon after running them through their morning drills. His concern for their one o'clock battle was lowering by the second as he watched his pokemon train. All the while, he was growing less concerned with the dreams. He hadn't had a visit by Darkrai all week, but he recorded all of the dreams like Dr. Irving Stall had ordered him to do. These dreams he recorded were meaningless to him, but he kept writing nonetheless. It gave him a small sense of control, though he still wasn't sure how it would help him against Darkrai himself, a being that controlled him in the dream state. _Only time will tell, I guess._

"Mr. Cody Storm?" He turned around abruptly to see a young, blonde-haired woman in a nurse's uniform, holding a great ball. _Antonia's great ball._

"Take a lap guys," he said to his pokemon, and in a flash, they were off around the track again. He turned back to the nurse and smiled. "Yes, I'm Cody Storm. What's up?"

"Well, we have some news about your Skarmory. Doctor Howard ran a physical examination on her last night and we've come to the conclusion that her armor has fully grown in. Your work in raising her has been successful."

Cody just stood there, speechless. After all this time, he could hardly believe that he was finally hearing these words. Antonia, his baby, was finally grown up, and he was being credited with the transformation. He had raised her to become what she was today. Like Eagle had said, it was a difficult road, but he did it… somehow, he did it. And he just couldn't stop smiling.

"Whoa…" he breathed as he clasped his head in both hands. Then he began to laugh. _Is this a dream? Darkrai, if this a dream, interrupt it now and save me the trouble of writing it down._ But nothing happened. This was real. And he was laughing like an idiot at seemingly nothing. "Can I see her?"

"Certainly," the nurse offered, handing him the blue pokeball. Not waiting another second, he opened the ball and what he saw was more beautiful than anything he had ever laid eyes on. Antonia's armor was all there (as he had seen in the passing days) but after hearing the news that it had grown in completely, she no longer looked so young.

"Skreee!" The proud bird spread her wings as she let out a shrill, falcon's call, stretching her neck and beak skyward, reaching a height of 5'11" (which was several inches taller than her trainer), and her body was long and broad. Perhaps someday, he'd even be able to fly with her? All of her silver armor gleamed beautifully in the sunlight and her red, metallic, wing feathers stretched out like smaller wings under her larger ones. Finally, Cody redirected his attention to her piercing, yellow eyes that reflected the pain that Antonia had experienced, as well as the bond they had built. A bond that he could say was beyond that of some of his other pokemon, as well as some of his human friends.

"My baby girl…" he whispered to her as he reached forward and embraced her, no resistance on her part. Rather, she rested her neck on his shoulders and let out a soft caw. How far they had come.

"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked, leaving his pokemon's side and looking into the eyes of the nurse.

"Well, just keep feeding her and exercising her," the nurse answered, "but the doctor said not to have her battle for about six days. Even though her armor has grown in, it needs a few more days to completely set. Let her exercise and fly, but no battling, okay?"

"Sure, no problem," Cody complied. As the nurse left, Cody continued to beam at his grown up pokemon and let his hand slid across her steely wing. _If only she could battle today. I bet she'd be amazing. Then again, maybe she's still too green. She hasn't been in anything over a first tier fight._ _Maybe by the time I get to fight for my fourth badge-_ His thoughts were burst by the ringing of his cell phone. Taking a guess at who it was, he found he was right when he saw his mother's name on his caller ID. He knew she tried to call him the night before, but he didn't answer his phone since he was eating with Heather and Jared. After that, he knew his mother would be working, and he didn't want to disturb her. That, and he didn't want to deal with her nagging, which was the only reason she seemed to call anymore. Letting out a slow grown and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Cody? It's Mom! You haven't been answering my calls! Are you okay?"

"Yes mother, I'm sorry," Cody muttered, trying to keep a level head. "I missed your last call, and I didn't want to bother you during work. I know how important your job is to yo-"

"Enough excuses, Cody!" his mother interrupted angrily, "I know why you won't talk to me! I saw our insurance report! You went to a psychologist, and I want to know why!"

"Oh God, I knew this was going to happen," he mumbled bitterly as he clutched his forehead in expectance of what he'd have to listen to from the other end of the phone. "Look, I was having anxiety issues, alright?" It wasn't a complete lie. One couldn't help but feel anxious when they were being stalked in both real life and their dreams. That being said, he wasn't telling the complete truth, and knowing how insane his mother could get, he never planned on doing so. "It's okay, I promise!"

"Okay? Okay!" his mother asked in disbelief. "You developed anxiety and you think it's okay? What is making you so anxious? Why won't you talk to me about this?"

"Nothing, training has just been very difficult lately. And I don't want you to worry, that's why I said nothing about it. I knew you were going to act like this. Now I'm sorry mom, but I have a badge battle in a few hours, and I have to work. Can I call you later?"

"No! I'm done dealing with this!" his mother shouted, her voice buzzing at the phone's top capacity. "This has gone too far! You won't call home, you're having mental anxiety, you always fight with me for trying to-" There was a sudden pause as if the call had dropped, but then, the young trainer heard the words he dreaded the most. "I want you to come home now!"

"Come… home?" Cody stuttered in disbelief. "I can't! I have a badge battle! I'm not coming home until the summer like I promised!"

"No, I don't want you out there anymore!" she repeated harshly. "I don't want to lose you like I lost Derrick. I wa-"

"Stop bringing up Derrick!" Cody yelled back, now pissed off. "I'm so sick of you comparing me to him! I won't end up like him, I promise!"

"Then come home now!" she demanded. "I am your mother, and you will come home! I demand it!"

At first, the young teen did not know how to respond to this command. Obviously, he had no plans to just give up and go home, but he wasn't sure how he could break it to her in a way that was respectful and that wouldn't cause her to start screaming. But when he deduced that that prospect was all but impossible, he decided to be straightforward with her, though he knew it would break her heart.

"No." The response was short, sweet, and to the point, but his mother's response was not.

"NO? I am your mother!" she screamed at him through the phones. "You will come home! I-"

"Mom, did you even talk to Dad about this?" Cody asked, raising his voice. "Given how supportive he has been-"

"This isn't about him! This is about me and you! I want you to come home now before-"

"Before what?" Cody challenged. "Before you come out here and get me? I don't think so mom. Quit being an indian giver with your promises!"

"Don't tell me what to do! I am-"

"I want to talk to Dad!" Cody asked indignantly.

"No! You will-"

"I hate this! You can't make me come home! You and Dad let me do this, so let me continue like you said I could! I'm sorry, but I will not come home until the summer like you asked me to. Now, if you want to talk with me about this in a civil tone, call me back when you calm down. I have to prepare. Goodbye Mother."

"Now you listen to me-"

Cody hung up his phone, and he squeezed it in his fist. _Damn it, I'm so fucked right now._ This was not going to be a pretty situation to fix and it could make his parents' situation with each other even worse. In a flash, his anger turned to regret. _Ugh, what the hell am I going to do?_

Cody looked up at Antonia, who was staring at him with curious eyes. He let his fingers gently slide over the warm, steel armor that covered her head as he slowly shook his. "Am I doing the right thing? Maybe I'm being a bad son… maybe I'm being selfish." But almost immediately, he thought otherwise. _No. She's the one being selfish. I'm a great trainer, and she's keeping me from my goals. I refuse to let her stop me. _

"Come on, let's go check on the others," Cody said to his Skarmory before the two walked off to the track. Even though he had made his decision, it was rather apparent that his struggles with Darkrai weren't the only power struggles that Dr. Stall had mentioned.

* * *

The Loamford Gym stadium was the biggest one that Cody had ever set foot on. The floor was made up of a mixture of thick soil and stone, and large slabs of stone littered the arena, making the battlefield more "themed" then the stadiums at Tempest Valley and Kito Grove. The seating at the arena was about one third full, but it was still pretty empty compared to the higher tier fights. Heather and Jared sat in the seats near the center of the field, Heather ready to film the fight, and Jared sitting back with his arms crossed. _You're not going to win if you don't get serious about this._ Cody disregarded Jared's repeated words though. He was ready, and he felt ready. He had fought ground and rock pokemon before, so an opponent that was a bit tougher than normal would only be more fun.

Still, he was sweating slightly as he stood on the battlefield. His confidence with his training and his pokemon were at odds with the memory of what his mother was talking to him about. Dealing with two situations, one that he could control, one that he could not, among the many others… Irving Stall was right. It was getting to him. _No, I'll be fine. I just need to focus…_

From the other side of the arena emerged the famed Martin Hornsby, wearing a white tank top and black sweat pants… certainly less formal than most gym leaders, but nonetheless, he received a standing ovation from his audience upon his entrance. Once he reached Cody, he reached out his hand and the two shook.

"We meet again Mr. Storm," he said, smiling widely.

_Wow, he remembers me._ "Yes, I'm ready," he replied, letting his admiration show through a little bit.

"Good, I hope so," Hornsby continued. "Garret told me about how you destroyed him in your pre-battle, so I expect great things today."

"Thank you sir, I won't let you down," Cody responded. The two released hands and returned to their own sides of the arena where they climbed up onto their two steel platforms above the arena. The brief meeting between the men had given Cody a bit more energy to try and override the problems on his mind. Subtlety, his eyes drifted over to Heather, who had zoomed in on him on the platform with his camera. But then he looked back at Hornsby, and grinned, pressuring everything else out of his mind. He came here to win. _Let's get this over with._

"This is a third tier battle for the Terra badge!" the referee announced into his microphone. "Challenger Cody Storm vs. Loamford City Gym Leader Martin Hornsby! This battle will follow standard rules, and each trainer is allowed five pokemon! Trainers! Ready your pokemon!" Cody was ready for the draw this time, and his hand shot down and immediately snatched up the pokeball of the monster he planned to use. After taking it, he tilted his head downward, eyes closed, and smiled as he brought the ball close to his face. It was a look he spent time practicing for, and he thought it looked cool. Apparently, so did the audience, since nobody giggled this time. "Trainers! Begin!"

"You're up Mars!" Like he had done with his first two gym battles, he opened his battle with the tiny brown mole, who appeared to be extra tiny in the large arena. On the other side was Hornsby's pokemon. It was also very small, and it looked like a tiny brown dinosaur with a large, black, oval, shaped head, made of steel. _Another fossil pokemon_, Cody thought to himself, though he couldn't remember the name of the species. _Never mind. _"Magnitude!"

"Shieldon, Take Down!" Hornsby ordered. The little foe charged through the ruble and debris as it shook from the miniature earthquake that Mars had started. The rumbling made the running reptile bounce as it ran until finally, it tripped over a stone and flew into the air. Even though it lost balance, it flew downward towards the mole, who quickly shot underground before the flying reptile hit him. The Shieldon was hurt upon impact, and before it could stand up, Mars popped out of the ground directly under the shield pokemon. The lizard was knocked into the air again, but before he landed again, the Diglett smacked it again with another dig. Again and again, Mars juggled the Shieldon, who was too slow to escape. Finally, the lizard landed on a large slab of stone that Mars couldn't dig through, but it was already worn down. This was too easy.

"Mud Bomb!" The Diglett launched a large clot of soil at the Shieldon, but the tired enemy just barely dodged it.

"Shieldon, this Diglett is too fast for you. Iron Defense!" The Shieldon glowed silver as its skin built an extra layer of armor right as it was hit with another dirt clot, saving it from taking what could have been a deadly strike. "Now Taunt!" The tiny foe let out a challenging roar to his foe.

_Taunt? Really? I'm already dominating you with attacks. "_Bulldoze!" Mars charged the idle pokemon that had taunted him with a wave of dirt, but right before he hit, the lizard blocked the attack with a silver, protective bubble, though the shield shattered upon the hit. _Protect, huh? Whatever, he's only delaying the inevitable. Its protect is broken now. _"Bulldoze again!"

"Endure!" Upon hearing this command, the Shieldon let out another roar before setting up another silver force field, though this one only covered his skin, rather than a bubble surrounding him. The Bulldoze hit directly this time, but what would have finished the Shieldon failed to do so. The fossil pokemon had endured the hit.

"Alright, enough stalling!" Cody shouted, frustrated. "Bulldoze again! One hit will do it!"

"Now, Metal Burst!" In a last ditch effort, upon being struck, the Shieldon let out a ball of white energy, reversing some of Mars's energy against him. Mars took the hit directly, and while he had been injured from the blow, he was still standing when the Shieldon was not. All things considered though, Hornsby did the best thing possible to finish off the match up that he was stuck in to begin with.

"Shieldon is unable to battle! Diglett is the winner!" the ref announced as Hornsby returned his pokemon, though he was still smiling. But Cody didn't seem to notice in his own ecstasy. Mars had easily taken out the man's first pokemon, and he didn't believe whatever was next would be much more challenge.

"Let's get serious," Hornsby suddenly chuckled, pulling out a second pokeball. "Magenta, show 'em who's boss!" Once the ball opened, a purplish pokemon with blue, wing-like flaps between its arms and legs flew out of the pokeball, screeching as it glided above the arena. It looked like a cross between a scorpion and a bat.

Cody frowned. He knew that Gligar were technically ground pokemon, but he had not expected to fight a flying pokemon in the earth gym. _Should I switch Mars out? I get a free switch upon winning a match up… wait, no, that doesn't work. I had to switch out before he switched in. I still have the one free switch, but… no, he can hold his own. He has against flying pokemon before. _"Mud Bomb!" The Diglett threw a ball of mud at the Gligar, but the flyscorpion agilely avoided the clot, and dove straight towards Mars, ready to take a swipe at him. Mars was quick enough to avoid the Quick Attack, but he seemed to have difficulty getting back underground. That last strike from the Shieldon seemed to have injured one of his paws, and it had slowed down his digging ability. It was even more obvious when he emerged again, since he was favoring his right paw.

"Don't let him get away!" Hornsby shouted. "Agility! Then Slash!"

"Mars, get underground!" Again, the mole shot underground, but what the Gligar did next was truly amazing. Letting out a wild screech, she turned to the earth, dove, and drilled into the earth below him. _What? He just dug through the ground like a- _Seconds later, Mars was blasted out of the ground from a subterranean strike from his opponent, and he landed on his back, letting out a pained squeak on impact. Following in suit, the Gligar shot out of the earth, and was about to slash at the downed Diglett, but in the last moment, the mole parried the flyscorpion's pincers with his claws.

"Poison Tail!" Hornsby ordered. In the midst of their entanglement, the Gligar tried to stab the Diglett with her tail, but the mole barely managed to dig back into the ground. In a flash, Magenta was after him. It was apparent that this Gligar had Mars matched at every move and then some, and Cody decided that he needed to give Mars a break and use a pokemon that could match Magenta in aerial combat.

"Ref!" he called out, raising his hand, Mars's pokeball in hand. Since the battle was not in a critical moment, the referee allowed the switch, and Cody returned Mars to his pokeball once he resurfaced. Then he took the other pokeball out and wished his next pokemon a mental good luck. "Your first big battle, Cortez! Make me proud!"

"Hehehehehehehehe!" The giggling ghost floated out and faced off against the Gligar, and instantly opened up the fight with a Fire Spin. The spiraling fire missed its mark though, since seconds later, the Gligar reappeared behind the Litwick and struck him down with a well placed Faint Attack. The candle pokemon plummeted towards the ground like a stone before catching himself a foot above the ground in a hover.

"Nightshade! Don't let him-"

"Acrobatics!" Magenta dove straight towards the Litwick and struck him with a claw before flying into a loop and attempting to tackle Cortez, but the ghost burst into flames, igniting the skyscorpion.

"SHRAAAK!" The Gligar screamed in pain before diving into the earth, digging into the soil and dousing the flames on her body.

"Nightshade at the ground!" This time, Cortez managed to release his shadow attack, creating a wall between himself and the earth. But the shade did not deter the Gligar, for in a quick blast, Magenta shot out of the ground and through the Nightshade, blowing a stream of sand into the candle's eyes.

"Good! Sand Tomb!" Using the momentum from her last strike, the Gligar began to fly in tight circles around the candle, creating a whirlwind that engulfed the Litwick. In desperation, Cody ordered his pokemon to shoot fire at his attacker, but the Gligar kept Cortez so well contained that the fire could not escape the whirlwind. When the twister finally died down, all that was left was a bewildered Cortez, unable to fathom where his opponent was. "Finish him!" Magenta's claws took on a black glow, and she slashed at the Litwick with a critical Night Slash. It was more than the candle could bare, and he fell limp, though his body still floated.

"Litwick is unable to battle! Gligar is the winner!"

"Damn it," Cody muttered to himself. He was hoping a pokemon that could fly would be able to hold its own with this Gligar, but it had outclassed his pokemon with ease. "Cortez, return!" The ghost was sucked back into its pokeball, and Cody took the next one out, feeling sure of himself. _We're still even. Maybe I need to match this Gligar in speed. _"Elesa! Stomp her!"

Once she got sight of her opponent, the Zebstrika snorted, as if to scoff the flying foe. Cody's reaction was only in his mind and much more subtle. An electric pokemon would feel out of place in an earth gym, but that didn't mean she was helpless. "Flame Charge!"

"Quick Attack!" Hornsby ordered. Both pokemon charged each other, and Elesa leapt into the air to hit the Gligar as the smaller pokemon flew under the horse to dodge the flames that surrounded Elesa's body. Cody, however, still had the advantage.

"Stomp!" As the Gligar flew up behind her foe, she was hit with a strong hoof to the back of the head. Nevertheless, she flew through the pain. _That thing can take a hit… _"Pursuit!"

"Slash!" the gym leader shouted. The two pokemon charged each other again and this time met each other head on. However, since Elesa was faster and heavier than Magenta, she easily overpowered the smaller, flying pokemon. Cody began to think that perhaps the elemental disadvantage wasn't a factor after all. But the tides were destined to change.

"Magenta, the Zebstrika is faster than you! You're going to need to slow it down! Stealth Rock!"

"Shraaa!" The Gligar dove straight down into the earth and when she reemerged, her earth connection forced hundreds of stones, small and large, to fly into the air and just hover. But that was it…

_What the- what's it doing now?_

"Now Slash!" The Gligar flew in and slashed at the horse's sides. Angered, Elesa tried to chase down Magenta, but her pursuit was cut short as her head bashed against one of the large, floating stones. Letting out a shriek, she backed up, only to bump into another rock. Looking around frantically, she could see that she was surrounded by floating stones at various heights. Now Cody could see the point of the tactic that Hornsby was applying. Elesa was big, strong, and fast, but none of that mattered if she couldn't build up enough speed. With a field that hindered her movement, she would be stuck, toiling in a maze of floating stones; a sitting duck for the Gligar to pick apart.

"Cross Poison!" Magenta flew gracefully between the floating rocks that she had set up before leaving a sizable gash on the zebra's back as she flew by. Again, Elesa tried to chase the flyscorpion, but was again held up by the rocks. Then, the Zebstrika screamed out a pained whinny before falling to her knees. The poison was already taking effect, and Elesa's chances were already dwindling. Unable to follow the Gligar through the rocks, and poison in her veins, all Magenta would have to do was wait until Elesa could no longer move. It was a gruesome way to win a battle, but effective nonetheless.

"Shock Wave!" Cody ordered desperately. The withering horse managed to let out a burst of electricity that homed towards the flying imp, but of course, it barely seemed to scratch the Gligar. _Damn ground types… _"Elesa, try to blast away the rocks! Make more room to run in!" The whimpering horse began to blast electricity from her body, knocking a few of the rocks away, but it was too little too late.

"Fury Cutter!" Magenta shot into Elesa's face like a bullet and smacked her right on the nose, knocking the zebra backwards. Normally, such an attack would not have been enough to end her, but the poison made it worse. She finally fell to the ground, shivering from the poison's effects. Though she had not passed out, the violent convulsions were proof enough that she had no remaining strength to fight.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle! Gligar is the winner!"

"Return!" Cody returned the Zebstrika to her pokeball and growled to himself. He had lost his lead now that this Gligar had taken out two of his fighters out. If a flying pokemon and fast pokemon couldn't get the job done, perhaps he needed to match this Gligar with agility and mobility. But would it be enough to help him make a comeback?

"Bastion, take her down! Aqua Jet!" As soon as the next pokeball opened, Bastion blasted out of the light in a shell tackle straight at the flyscorpion. The move was so fast that Magenta was unable to dodge it, and the Wartortle crashed both of them into the earth, holding the imp against the ground. But the wily Gligar knocked the turtle back with her tail, hopped back into the air, and shifted into a Quick Attack, only to be knocked back by a Water Gun.

"Get into the air and begin the Acrobatics!" Hornsby bellowed authoritatively. The Gligar regained her flight and rose above the stones where Bastion would have trouble reaching… or so she thought. Without waiting for orders, the Wartortle began to hop onto the levitating stones that the Gligar had raised, making his way to the top of the battlefield. Then, the aerial battle began. The Gligar took to flying in close, trying to knock the turtle off the rocks with Night Slashes while Bastion kept jumping between rocks while firing streams of water and bubbles at Magenta as she dipped and dove. Despite the impressiveness of the dog fight, Cody gritted his teeth in fear every time Bastion dodged an attack and jumped to a new floating rock. One wrong move would send him crashing to the earth and giving the Gligar an opening.

"Weaken him with Cross Poison!" The Gligar swooped in and tried to slash at Bastion's face, but the turtle tried to counter this move with an Iron Tail. Strangely enough, it worked. Since his tails became momentarily glazed with steel, it completely blocked the poison of the Gligar's attack from seeping into his body. But Magenta did not let go, trying to crush the steel in her grip.

"Shake her off, Bastion!" Cody ordered, but while he intended for his pokemon to use a Rapid Spin, the turtle tried to repeat what he had done with the Omastar a week earlier. He used Aqua Jet and blasted himself towards the ceiling. But before he hit the ceiling, he pulled his head back into his shell before a resounding CRACK echoed in the arena. While Bastion had protected his head, his tail, to which Magenta was still clinging, was still hanging out of his shell. So upon the impact, the tail kept flying upwards in the momentum, and Magenta smashed into the ceiling. She finally let go, but she was too injured to fly away, so all she could do was fall. She was also too injured to enter the ground, and she only lay sprawling on the ground below. "Tackle!" The Wartortle was falling when he heard this order, but he maneuvered himself to fall just right so that his shell collided with the weakened Gligar. The collision made a small dust cloud, but when the dirt cleared, only Bastion was standing, though the fluffy eared turtle looked dizzy from all of the literal head banging. Magenta was not so lucky. As the flyscorpion slipped from consciousness, the levitating stones rained from the sky, now that they had no energy to keep them in the air. Thankfully, none of these rocks hit the dizzy Wartortle as they fell.

"Gligar is unable to battle! Wartortle is the winner!"

"Good job, Magenta!" Hornsby called out as he returned the Gligar to her pokeball. Cody noted that the gym leader was smiling now, though he didn't know why. Was the man impressed with Bastion's ingenuity? Did he believe it was too late for Cody? Or was he just gleeful about his next entrant into the battle?

"Hmm…" Martin Hornsby hummed to himself. "Mr. Storm, your Wartortle seems good at adaptation. But can he adapt to this?" The graying man pulled out a new pokeball and tossed it onto the field. The pokemon that appeared gave Cody reason to believe that the man was smiling at the impending doom of Cody's team.

"Hahaha…" the new pokemon laughed coolly in a very human-sounding voice. This new arrival stood at about five and a half feet, and its green body was covered in sharp spikes. Its head was curious looking. Its mouth seemed to be segmented into smaller holes and it looked like it was wearing a green, four-cornered hat. But its eyes… those evil, yellow eyes. The only eyes Cody had ever seen that were scarier were the ones of Darkrai. _A Cacturne._ A pokemon that trumped the rest of his, the challenger's team elementally. But that didn't bug Cody as much as something else, an issue he felt was key. _Why? Why does he have a grass pokemon on his team? It's a grass and dark type for crying out loud!_

"Shade, Sandstorm!"

_Oh, that's why. _He remembered that Cacturne lived in the deserts and despite not being ground pokemon, and that they could survive in the harsh wastes, even in the worst of sandstorms. But still, using a grass pokemon… that had to be cheating. All of a sudden, he really wished he still had Cortez on hand.

"Haha…" The Cacturne raised its arms, and the sand began to flow. Bastion braced himself, but Cody knew that the storm would definitely tire his first pokemon out. On top of that, the Cacturne seemed to have disappeared into the sands.

"Bastion, don't let your guard down. He's-"

"Sucker Punch!" Just like that, a long, spiny arm shot out of the swirling sands and smacked the turtle on the back of the head. Once Bastion recovered from the strike, he shot water in the direction the arm came from, but there was no impact noise. He missed. But where was the Cacturne now?

"Needle Arm!" A spiny arm swiped at Bastion again, this time sending the turtle farther through the air. Bastion shot a Water Pulse, but it seemed to be at nothing. Again, Bastion did this. And again. Each time he made the move, his big ears twitched. The Wartortle must have had some sort of echolocation thing going on.

_Why did I never read about that? _"Bastion, when you find it, Iron Tail!" Seconds later, the Wartortle picked up movement, and ran straight into the sandy abyss where the scarecrow was hiding. This time, a sickening thud was heard, along with the scream of the Cacturne. But then, Bastion was thrown back out of the sand and the cactus pokemon followed slowly. Cody noticed that Shade was walking slower than usual, and it took him a moment to figure out why. Every step he took, the foot he put forward seemed to be sprouting roots. _Ingrain._ As long as he had roots in the ground, he'd slowly recover from the damage he had taken.

"Hold that Wartortle down! Needle Arm!"

"No, Headbutt it!" Bastion tried to counter the strike with his head, but this was immediately recognized by Cody as a dumb decision, since the turtle's unguarded head was left open to the scarecrow's spiked arm. This time, the big grass pokemon held Bastion to the ground, as leech like roots extended from the end of its arm onto the turtle's skin. It looked harmless at first, but then Bastion began to writhe in agony. "Don't let it sap your energy! Rapid Spin!" But the scarecrow was putting so much pressure on the turtle's head that he could not move. Bastion desperately shot water blasts at the cactus, but even the ones that hit barely did anything Shade, who was enjoying a feast of energy from both the earth and the reptile. Finally, after the joint combination of both the sands and the sapping, Bastion's struggles ended, both slowly and sadly. Another depressing ending.

"Wartortle is unable to battle! Cacturne is the winner!"

"Good try Bastion…" Cody mumbled as he returned his pokemon, wiping the sweat off his brow with his free hand. This battle was not looking good. All he had left was the somewhat injured Mars, and his fastest rising star, Colossal. But Hornsby had three pokemon left, and the one that was out right now trumped both of his in a bad way. Was it even possible to win this fight at this rate? _Yes… I can do this. Mars and Colossal are tough. They'll pull through. We'll do this together. _He had a new strategy now: if the Cacturne was going to use roots to sustain himself, he'd have to find a way to cripple his life support… maybe a root eating mole would do the trick. "Mars! Go!"

"Weik, weik!" the Diglett squeaked as he made his second appearance on the field, still looking slightly worn out from his earlier match ups. But even looking at a bigger grass pokemon, Mars was not discouraged, and the sandstorm wouldn't slow him down like it did Bastion, thanks to his element.

"Needle Arm!"

"Dig under and chew the roots!" Mars immediately went under the earth and seconds later, Cacturne began to pull its feet up as if it was stepping on nails, making angry grunts all the while. Then, the scarecrow's foot that wasn't raised from the earth was pulled underground by the hungry mole, stopping it in place. "Great! Now slash at his knees!"

"Grass Knot!" Hornsby ordered. After the Diglett had shot out of the ground and took a swipe at the cactus pokemon's knees, he was immediately knocked downward by the Cacturne's long arms. Before Mars could get to his feet again, the Cacturne punched its two long arms into the ground. Suddenly, several green, spiny roots shot from the ground next to the mole and wrapped around his body. Mars screeched in agony as the large thorns of the roots cut into his body, and he tried to wriggle free, chewing at one of the roots that was near his mouth. But that did not stop the Cacturne from tightening his grip, squeezing what little air was left out of the mole's lungs. During this, all Cody could do was watch as one of his last hopes of winning was being strangled, unable to do or say anything to help his pokemon win this match-up as the Cacturne tightened its grip. As much as he preferred a flashy battle style, he had to admit that Hornsby's tactics, gruesome as they were, were very effective.

"That's enough, Shade!" the gym leader shouted. After pulling his sunken foot out of the earth, the Cacturne relinquished his grip, letting the limp Diglett fall to the ground. He did this before the referee made the decision, thinking that the enemy had grown too tired to fight, not wanting to injure it any further. But to the surprise of Hornsby, Cody, the referee, and everybody in attendance, Mars opened his eyes and made it to his feet, staring at his opponent with angry eyes, as if he had been insulted by what the Cacturne had done to him.

"Mars, don't-" It was too late. The beaten and bruised mole ran straight towards his foe, not even bothering to get underground first, but once he was in mid-leap, the scarecrow instinctively swatted the Diglett down with a Needle Arm, crushing its attacker through the impact in the air, and smashing him into the ground. This time, Mars could not get up, his body twitching from the blow.

"Diglett is unable to battle! Cacturne is the winner!"

"Return." Cody recalled Mars solemnly and looked out at the Cacturne and the sandstorm it had created. Though he could not see his face, he knew he wore a downcast expression as he was now down to his last pokemon: Colossal. Sure, Colossal was good, but was he good enough to beat three gym pokemon? It didn't seem possible, but stranger things had happened. Slowly, Cody lifted the pokeball of his final pokemon and held it close to his lips, so close that they almost touched. "You can do this," he whispered, unsure if the companion inside could hear him. But finally, he pulled the pokeball away, and silently released the Pupitar onto the battlefield. The blue-shelled being looked at home in the raging sandstorm, even more so than Mars was, and he let out a rumbling growl that could be heard over the whipping sands. Perhaps he could do the impossible?

"Don't waste time, Shade. Grass Knot!"

"Colossal, Take Down!" The Pupitar shot itself over the erupting roots at the cactus, but before he made contact, the scarecrow had disappeared into the whipping sands again. "Colossal, use Screech and-" before Cody could finish the order, several spiked roots jutted out of the ground and wrapped around the pupated lizard's shell. At this attack, the Pupitar turned in his constraints to face the shadowy figure several feet away. But unlike Mars, Colossal did not seem to be weakened by the tightening roots that surrounded him, and it was easy to see why: his shell. That bulky, blue shell was holding strong against the pressure, unlike Mars's skin. Therefore, the Grass Knot had only put the battle into a stalemate… a stalemate that only Hornsby could end on command. Unless…

"Hold steady, Colossal!" Cody called out to his pokemon, who was straining against his foe in the center of the field. "He can't move until he lets you go. Then-"

"Release an arm and use Needle Arm!" Hornsby shouted, cutting Cody off, catching on that the challenger had figured out his game. The Cacturne's left arm rose from the ground, releasing half of the vines that entangled the pupa, but this only opened a new window of opportunity for the reptile. Immediately, he thrashed about and broke free from his roots. Right away, he burst into a jet-propelled tackle that not only knocked back the Cacturne's free arm, but also launched the armored pokemon into the scarecrow's torso.

"Stomp!" Cody ordered once he saw that his pokemon was standing on top of his opponent's, but the Cacturne was slick enough to roll out of the way before punching both of his long arms into the Pupitar's shell, trying to breach the pokemon's defenses and absorb his energy. However, unlike with the grass pokemon's roots, the sprouts from the Cacturne's hands would eventually seep their way past the Pupitar's hard shell and into his soft tissue.

"The moment you infiltrate, Mega Drain!" Hornsby bellowed, as Colossal tried to shake off his foe. But the Cacturne's grip was too tight. However, it was in this moment when Pupitar came up with a new solution to the problem at hand. Its body radiated with a dark glow before a horrible, black pulse exploded from its body, knocking the scarecrow pokemon back. Understandably, the dark type move didn't do too much against the dark type pokemon it hit, but it did its job well enough, as the cactus pokemon had lost his grip and he seemed to be cringing from the attack he had taken.

"Now, while it's off its game! Finish it!" Cody ordered, feeling his confidence rise again. Like it had practiced, the Pupitar let out a deafening screech before pounding the ground and raising up three boulders. Finally, he charged the Cacturne and knocked it over like a bowling pin. After the hit was made, the Sandstorm slowly began to subside as some of the dust rested on the passed out body of the foe.

"Cacturne is unable to battle! Pupitar is the winner!"

"Good work, Shade!" Hornsby said. A second later, he already had his next pokemon ready to go. "I'm sorry to say Storm," the gym leader began, his eyes looking sorrowful, "you've been impressive, and yet, disappointing. I do hope you come try again next wee-"

"I'm still in this," Cody barked back, trying to keep himself in good spirits. Two against one… the odds were slightly better, but still not in his favor.

The gym leader laughed at this. "That you are. But can you handle this?" His fourth pokeball opened up and revealed a big gray pokemon with dark gray armor on its back that looked similar to tire tread. It was a Donphan, much to Cody's distress. He wasn't worried because the pokemon was a Donphan, as he had fought the species before. Rather, it was this particular Donphan that disturbed him. Unlike most Donphan, this one looked like it was almost six feet tall, almost twice as tall as any of the species he had ever seen. He also noticed its ears were bigger too.

"An African-Donphan," Hornsby announced proudly. "What they lack in speed, they make up for in pure power. Allow me to demonstrate." He snapped his fingers and pointed. "Tantor! Rollout!"

"Hrrannhhh!" the big pachyderm trumpeted before barreling towards the much smaller Pupitar before tucking his thick armored head and trunk in and forming a gigantic, rolling wheel. At the last second, Colossal managed to slide out of the way. Both Cody and his pokemon looked a bit baffled by the elephant's speed. For a pokemon that "lacked speed," as Hornsby had dictated, it was still pretty damn fast.

"Don't let his size deter you!" Cody shouted, "Rock Slide!" Once again, the blue-shelled pokemon summoned a few sizable boulders before charging head on towards the spinning tank. But what happened next was both amazing and terrifying, as the Donphan's Rollout not only crushed the boulder that Colossal had set up in front of him, but also collided with the Pupitar, creating a shattering "plunk" sound.

"Now, Magnitude!" The elephant bounced into the air before unfolding from his wheel form, ready to crash into the earth with all the might of a careening meteor, but luckily, Colossal saw this coming. He reared his body upwards and hopped into the air, avoiding both the Magnitude, and the Donphan that caused it. Taking advantage of the Donphan, who was still stuck in the motion of the Magnitude, Colossal launched another jet propelled Take Down towards the armored elephant… which accomplished nothing as he bounced off the opponent's side, not even making a dent. Letting out another trumpeting roar, the Donphan grabbed the aggressor with his long trunk and flung him into the battlefield's boundary wall like a rag doll. Ever the tenacious one, Colossal was up again and trying to use a successful Thrash, though again, this seemed to have very little effect on the enormous foe. Again, the elephant disregarded the comparably weak attack by picking up the Pupitar like before and tossing him down again.

"Colossal, you have to keep trying," Cody pleaded as he saw his final pokemon being beaten down like he was nothing special. "Dark Pulse!" Cody immediately regretted the command when he called it out, since he had not yet trained the Pupitar to respond to that order with the proper attack, but by some sheer chance of luck, the pupa pokemon lurched forward and burst with the dark aura once more. However, the luck had run out as the Donphan rolled forward again, its body completely disregarding the black pulse that hit it. His body smacked Colossal backwards before once more, the elephant leapt into the air and was ready to stomp its opponent with another Magnitude, trumpeting out an early victory cry before he landed. This time, Cody's final pokemon failed to dodge the blow. When the dust cleared and the shaking of the earth had ended, he knew the result before the referee even called it.

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**By the way, if anybody here has any good picture recommendations for the story's pic, let me know. I'm just going with the "realistic" Squirtle for now.**


	28. Chapter 28: Balancing Act

** I'm back. Nothing much to say on why I haven't updated in awhile except that I've been busy at hell with school and work. On top of that, I've been working on smaller writing projects that I may or may not reveal at some point in the future. But for today, I give you chapter 28. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 28: Balancing Act**

For a few seconds, all Cody could do was stare at the x-ray results. If the day hadn't been horrible enough, what he was staring at was just somebody emptying a saltshaker all over his wounds.

"How long?" he asked the brunette nurse, as he reached out to touch Mars's nose as the little pokemon stretched in his cot. He looked rather ridiculous with the white cone he was wearing on his neck, but obviously, recovery is never glamorous.

"Seven to fifteen days," she answered, pointing at the image of Mars's front-right leg. "He's suffered six fractures in his wrist, all near the same bone. We can heal up broken bones, but how long they'll take…"

"Ugh…" the trainer groaned, clutching his forehead. The uncertainty was killing him. Immediately after losing the battle to Martin Hornsby, Cody went to schedule his rematch, and the soonest date he could pick was nine days. In hindsight, the rush he made was stupid, since it would have been better to analyze the reasons he lost first and schedule his rematch later, but of course, he had to keep up the appearance that he had pride; that Hornsby's victory was some sort of fluke. Of course, he knew that his loss was not a fluke. The gym leader had calculated every move he made and the younger trainer had failed to adapt. And now that he learned that Mars's condition was worse than he thought, there was a possibility that he would be down a pokemon for his next fight. "Well… thank you," he finally replied. He leaned forward towards his pokemon and whispered "you're a trooper," to Mars before exiting the backroom and rejoining his friends in the common room of the pokemon center.

"How is he?" Heather questioned concernedly as soon as she spotted her friend. Jared also noticed Cody's entrance, but he said nothing. Still, Cody could practically hear all the "I told you so's" that he was ready to say.

"Lot of fractures. I don't know if he'll be ready by next week," he answered, collapsing onto the sofa across from her. Despite his down-trodden mood, he was doing well at keeping an even composure for the time being.

"Well, you could reschedule. They do-"

"If I do that… they have a lot of trainers coming in this week. If I reschedule, we could be here for a lot longer than we need to be." He looked down at the tiled floor and shook his head. "God, I feel like such a moron right now."

"Well, if you had done your homework-"

"Shut up, Jared," Cody said, his voice suddenly growing dark. To make the day even worse, the fact that Jared was right. Not that he would admit it out loud or anything.

"Well, I'm just saying," he continued in that smartass tone, "Gym Leaders have their pokemon listed on their websites, and there are a hundreds of youtube videos of Hornsby battling at any given tier level. You should have known he had a Cacturne and a six-foot tall Don-"

"Jared, enough," Heather cut in, touching his shoulder.

"What? I told him that Hornsby was-"

"Just stop," she ordered, her eyes narrowing. Jared looked at her, irritated, before shrugging his shoulders and standing up.

"Whatever, I'm gonna put on a nicer shirt. I'll be back in five." He stood up and left for the trainers' dormitories, leaving the remaining two of the trio sitting in silence.

"So…" Cody cut through the silence in curiosity, "what is he getting dressed for?"

"Oh, we're going to see that Ghost Rider movie that came out last month," she answered unenthusiastically as her gaze drifted to a space on the wall. "Jared loves that sort of thing."

"Oh fun…" Cody replied blankly.

"Look, you wanna come with us?" she asked, touching his hand. "It looks dumb, but maybe we'll get a good laugh, right?"

"Look, Heather, I appreciate the offer, but I really don't want to be a third wheel at a sequel to a movie that I never saw while you two make out the whole ti-"

"Fine," Heather cut him off, twisting a strand of her brown hair with her index finger out of frustration. She didn't sound angry, but it was obvious she thought this was a hopeless conversation. "If it makes you feel any better, I lost my badge battle too."

"Hey, at least you made it to his fifth pokemon," Cody brought up. Heather had done pretty well in her fight until Hornsby sent out that Donphan, which annihilated Somnos like he was a Surskit. _How do we even fight that goddamn thing?_

"Well, I'm still in the same boat with you…" she replied softly, giving him a small hug. "Don't worry, we all lose from time to time. We'll get him next week."

"Yeah…" His mind was beginning to drift again. After falling to this new low, all the fears of his mother, Darkrai, and the man in black that was following him… along with his doubts in his training… they were all piling up, and he felt like a cluttered mess. Perhaps Dr. Stall was right. He needed to clear up his mind if he wanted to focus on any of those things. "Heather," Cody murmured softly.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to northern Rumbling Mountains to train. If it's okay, I need to be alone for a bit to… sort things out and focus, you know?"

"Cody," she replied, clutching his hands, "normally, I wouldn't have a problem with you going out alone, but what about that Casper guy? What if he's-"

"I'll be fine," he replied, though he knew the risks. "Since this town has a cell phone tower up there, I'll have good reception. I'll call back every night."

"I still think-"

"It is stupid, I know, but so am I." The statement brought a giggle out of his friend, which made him feel a little better. Lightly insulting himself for her pleasure was totally worth it to see her pretty smile. "But I really need this alone time, okay? Just give me a few days."

For a few moments, Heather obviously still wanted to say no, as it was evident in her expression, but she finally gave in to the puppy dog eyes that Cody was giving her. "Fine. But good luck convincing Jared. You know how he is."

"Yeah, I'll figure something out," Cody answered, smiling. _I doubt he'll care. If something happens to me, I'll be out of his hair forever. _A gruesome thought, but it matched his sour mood.

* * *

"Okay, again!" Heeding his trainer's order, the Pupitar shot his body into the side of the mountain again. Cody and his team had traveled half-way up one of the closest mountains that wasn't popular for hiking, given the condition of the trails. Since there were few hikers and pokemon about, it was the perfect place to train alone and to think. After spending the night before reviewing the recording of his last battle, he spent all morning working with his pokemon individually, trying to help them polish up small spots of their technique that could help them improve for the rematch. For Colossal, this was improving the strength of his tackling. Being the physically strongest of all of his pokemon, Cody had made the decision that the blue-shelled pokemon would be his best bet to face that indestructible Donphan. But would a week of strength training really help him in the fight? At this point, it was doubtful, but he would keep trying.

"Skraw?" The trainer looked over to see Antonia walking downward on the trail, looking infuriated. She was probably hungry, but there were very few edible pokemon on that particular mountain. Cody had expected her to fly off and look elsewhere for food, but she hadn't taken flight all morning. Perhaps she was afraid of the height she was at? No, that couldn't be it. She was born in the mountains after all. Still…

"No luck, huh?" Cody asked as he sat down on the trail. He was answered by Antonia nudging his shoulder roughly with her iron-clad head. Before she could give him a bruise from her begging, he pulled a handful of pokechow out for her, which she gingerly picked out his hand, careful not to break his skin. The young teen's mind, however, was paying little attention as he shifted his gaze back out to the majesty that was the forested valley below. After the long morning, he had had a long time to just sit and think. It was nice to just be out by himself without Jared bothering him about something trivial. It wasn't all peaceful though.

During the midmorning, he had called home when he knew both of his parents would be there. As he expected, he was shouted at by his mother for longer than he was comfortable with, but once his father joined the conversation on another one of their home's phones, the discussion became less of a shouting match. For the time being, it was decided that there was very little that could be done to bring him home as his mother would have wanted, since he was granted permission to travel. However, he knew it would be very difficult to leave once he returned home. Not only that, but hearing his parents talk to each other… the love that used to be in the words they traded was long gone. Though he said nothing about it, it hurt him to literally hear the structure that was his family falling apart.

"Damn…" Cody muttered as he tossed a lone pebble over the cliff's edge. Even though he was thinking clearly for the first time in a while, he still worried for his rematch. From what he had heard, many trainers would often give up once they reached a gym that they couldn't beat after many tries, which for many, was typically the second or third gym. Could this gym be that gym for him? _No… I will find a way to win. That Donphan has to have a weakness… I just haven't figured it out yet._

THUNK! Without Cody's permission, Colossal had launched himself into rock face again, but this time, he broke an incredibly large stone from the massive, rock wall. The big stone fell onto the path and began to slide down the trail at an alarmingly fast rate. At first, Cody's eyes lackadaisically followed the sliding stone, but then they opened wide when he saw somebody on a lower portion of the trail. _Dammit, the only time somebody is on this trail is when- _"Hey! Watch out!" The person had already noticed the rock, and had flattened up against the rocky mountain wall next to the trail, just narrowly avoiding the passing rock before it fell off the cliff's curved trail. Worried for the stranger's wellbeing, Cody stood up and ran down the trail, Colossal and Antonia following close behind. "Are you alright?" he asked as he skidded to a stop near to where the other person was standing.

At first, the stranger, a boy that looked a bit older than Cody, said nothing and didn't even spare the concerned trainer a glance. Rather, he just held his hands in front of his body as if to say "stop!" while looking downward at the ground at a leftward angle. The other teen's hair was blonde, but longer and with a slightly "bleachier" in color, and some of his bangs had the tips of them dyed black. In contrast with his light colored hair, the guy was wearing a lot of black. Black jeans, black boots, a grayish-black t-shirt, a black leather jacket, a black pack on his back and a slightly off-black fedora. All in all, his outfit didn't look that conducive for hiking, save the boots. He assumed the guy was traveling, given his pack. But finally, he saw the pokeballs on the guy's belt and the tiny Shuppet that was floating next to his shoulder. _A trainer. _But Cody didn't think much of this in the moment, since he was more concerned about the fact that he could have killed the guy if his reflexes weren't quick.

Finally, the trainer looked up at him, glaring. "Um… you mind telling me what the fuck that was?" His piercing light-blue eyes were chilling, and suddenly Cody felt a small twinge of anxiety.

_Wait, what am I afraid of some scene kid for? _"Yeah, um…" Cody mumbled, fidgeting some as he wore a guilty look, "I'm sorry, I just… I was training my Pupitar and it knocked a chunk of rock out of the cliffside. I'm just glad you're-"

"Look _kid_," the stranger continued, "I already have enough to worry about without the mountain trying to kill me, so please be more careful, or you might have a lot of explaining to do to the rangers if the next guy has slower reaction time, 'kay?"

For a few seconds, Cody just stared at the guy, trying to muster a good response, but before he could say anything, the trainer in black garb began to speak again. "Look, I know it was an accident. You don't really seem like the malicious type, but seriously, these paths aren't traveled on that much. It's dangerous for an amateur trainer to be out here alone." Those last few words perked up Cody's attention as he straightened up.

"Thanks, but I'm hardly an amateur," he replied, slightly peeved as his face reddened, but he didn't want to let his attitude get out of check in front of a stranger. At this phrase, the little ghost pokemon that was hovering above the other trainer's body began to giggle, sort of like how Cortez would laugh, but a little bit more "feminine," though he couldn't exactly explain why.

"Oh really?" the stranger asked, smirking. "How many badges?"

"Thr-" He ended his statement short. "Two."

"Two, huh?" the other teen chuckled. "Talk to me when you have four. Two is better than one, but still pretty amateurish."

"Whatever," Cody grumbled. "Says the guy who raided Hot Topic before taking a hike in the mountains."

At first, he expected the stranger to get angry, but rather, he just snickered at the comment. "Cute." He pushed a strand of his bangs from his eyes before continuing. "If you must know, I don't always wear these when I hike. I'm just gonna be on the road for an hour because I'm heading to a little party at the Pine Drop Lodge. I figured there wouldn't be much in these mountains that would threaten my wardrobe… that is until I almost got hit by a large slab of sto-"

"Okay, fair enough," Cody interrupted, "but who are you to say I'm an amateur? Do you have all twelve badges or something?"

"Not quite," the other trainer answered. "Five right now. Gonna be six soon when we're ready. But once you get four badges, that's when people will start taking you seriously. Until then, you're still probably pretty green. But that's okay. We're all new at some point."

_Geeze, I can't tell if this guy is talking down to me or not. _But rather than him saying anything about that, "Whatever," he finally answered. "Still, amateur? I'd like to think I'm better than that. I mean, I've been out here for…" he paused to think. "Seven, eight months almost? Something like that. I know I'm new, but I know my stuff. So again, amateur?"

"Veehehehehehehehe!" Before the other trainer could give a response, his ghost pokemon started cackling at Cody's question, but once she (he assumed it was female at least) calmed down, his question was finally answered.

"Hmm…" he hummed, his eyes closed. "Well, I have time. Prove to me that you're no amateur. Battle me and maybe I'll take it back."

"I thought you'd never ask," Cody replied, the smile returning to his face. "There's a clearing up the trail. As long as you don't have a Steelix or anything like that, it should be plenty big for a battle.

"That's fine, most of my current team is pretty small in stature, so I'm good. Take me then to this clearing."

"Alrighty then," Cody agreed before turning back to his two pokemon that had been observing the entire conversation silently, though Antonia was giving the newcomer a distrusting look. "By the way, I'm Cody Storm, but I didn't get your name. To whom do I have the pleasure of battling?"

The other trainer didn't answer right away until Cody turned around and met his icy stare. "Cedric. Cedric Gates."

* * *

"Kree?" Antonia seemed to question, cocking her head while looking at her trainer. What she received was a "no" in the form of her trainer shaking his head. It was still too early for her to fight after her armor fully came in. She'd have to wait a little longer. It was too bad however, given the state of his team. All he had left at the moment were Colossal, Elesa and Cortez since Mars was still in the pokemon center, and Bastion, while still able to do basic training, had twisted his leg in the match the day before, and his trainer didn't want to put him in harm's way against a five badge trainer.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Cody questioned Cedric as the boy was fiddling with his pokeballs, probably deciding who he wanted to use first. At the question, he stared back inquisitively.

"What do you mean, we just send out our pokemon and battle. Or do you mean the wager? I'd say fifty dollars is-"

"Actually, I'd go for seventy-five dollars if it's fine with you, but that's not what I meant," he began. "See, after my last gym battle, I only have three usable pokemon right now, and if I'm only an _amateur_, and you have five badges, how are we going to even this up?"

"Hmm…" Cedric pondered for a moment, rubbing his stubble covered chin. "That's actually a good point. Tell you what Storm, how do you like this? Double battle, two of mine versus three of yours. Really, that's as fair as we're gonna get."

"Sure, that works," the younger trainer grinned. _Let's see if I even need three._

"Veehehehehehehe!" the Shuppet laughed as she flew in front of her trainer's position, but he touched the back of her head while he shook his.

"No Snug, not this time," he whispered soothingly, only to receive a look of disappointment from the ghost pokemon before she flew back to his shoulder. "I already have my picks in mind." He made his decision, pulling a regular pokeball and a luxury ball. "Ready when you are, junior."

"Alright then…" He turned his head back to Colossal who had been standing quietly behind him and gave a quick nod. Understanding the situation, the Pupitar hopped its shelled body into the clearing and stared down Cedric down. Seconds later, Elesa was standing by her partner's side, stamping her foot into the soil. At the sight of the electric pokemon, Cedric looked a little saddened for reasons that Cody did not understand.

"Really… I thought you'd use…" his voice drifted into silence. "Never mind, I stand by my picks." He held both pokeballs up and opened them simultaneously.

"Bureeee!" The pokemon on Cody's left was a three and a half foot avian like creature with a torso covered in yellow feathers, while red feathers were growing from its chest, head, and covering its legs. The claws at the ends of its long arms matched the sharpness of its talons, both of which matched the sharpness of the bird's piercing eyes.

The pokemon on his right let out a low, guttural growl that while this cry had qualities of a normal animal cry, its voice sounded similar to that of metal plates being scraped together. Judging by its rocky hide covered in metal plating, Cody identified the beast as a Lairon, but something about this Lairon was different. As it shifted its body from side to side, the metal plating near its limbs didn't seem to constrict its movements at all. But even more noticeable was this Lairon's build. Rather than being stout and compact like most of its species, this one seemed to have a thinner, slightly elongated body. But why?

"Okay guys, stay focused but don't go all out," Cedric dictated to his pokemon in a calm but affirmative voice as they glared at their enemies. "While we don't know the extent of his team's strength, we don't want to demolish him too quickly or anything."

"Hey man, I'm right here," Cody groaned upon hearing this little speech. But the more he thought about it, the more it was probably in his favor if this opponent underestimated him.

"Alright, let's start this. Colossal, Body Slam! Elesa, Spark the bird!" Both of his pokemon barreled towards the foes who just stood there… until the last second. With swift movements, the Combusken and the Lairon both moved outward to dodge the double strike. What was truly surprising to Cody was the Lairon's speed. Such a pokemon was known for its bulkiness, but this less bulky specimen moved like a freight train in its dodge. Once both opponents were out of the way, they both made agile, physical strikes into their opponent's sides, knocking both Elesa and Colossal of balance. Following his initial strike, the Lairon aimed an Iron Head at the Pupitar, but this time, Colossal was ready. The blue-shelled behemoth shot himself in a jet-propelled slam, and the collision between the two monsters caused a resounding clang. From there, the battle of the two became a battle of pride and strength as they pushed up against each other, neither wanting to give in to the other's power.

"Berserker, don't try to fight that Zebstrika with straight force just yet," Cedric ordered, giving his first command of the match. The fighting type bird continued to dodge Elesa's electrical charges while shooting small bursts of flames at the much larger horse. However, the electric pokemon shook most of these off with ease before retaliating with her own element. With a strong blast, the horse released a Shock Wave, though the move only slightly set the Combusken off her game.

Cody quickly switched his gaze between his two pokemon, trying to figure out who needed his help the most. Colossal was still trying to overpower the Lairon, but to no true success for either side. Elesa and the Combusken were still just dancing around each other, but neither pokemon was making contact. Perhaps it would be time for the dancers to switch partners?

"Elesa, that bird is too fast for you! Use Spark on the Lairon!" At first, the electric pokemon just gave a loud, disgruntled snort at her trainer's orders, angry that he had asked her to stop the feud she had started with the fighting-bird. But stubborn as she could be, she gave in and charged towards the steel pokemon, her body crackling with electricity. But before she could make physical contact, the yellow and orange bird kicked towards her from the side, her clawed foot engulfed in flames. The blow hit the horse like a bullet knocking a bottle off of a fence, and the poor Zebstrika was knocked onto her side, letting out a loud, braying screech. After landing that move, the Combusken landed next to the Pupitar and performed a Low Kick, sweeping Colossal off his feet (so to speak,) allowing the Lairon to tackle his fallen foe.

Seeing his pokemon neutralized that quickly by the Combusken made the younger trainer question how the fire-bird even accomplished such a feat. Sure, the Torchic line was not sluggish by any stretch of the word, but this one… even after sustaining a few hits, it seemed to be moving faster every second as if its speed was being boosted.

"Shake it off and regroup! Colossal, Rock Slide! Elesa, Flame Chage the bird!" Having Elesa use Flame Charge on a fire type was usually a dumb thing to ask for, but he knew that the move would help his current situation if it helped speed the Zebstrika up.

"Hmph, too little too late," he heard Cedric mumble over the ruckus. As expected, Elesa did speed up, but by then, the Combusken had already sped up herself too much. It seemed like the bird was always one step ahead of her on every move. Meanwhile, Colossal was trying to get into an optimal position to run a Rock Slide, but the Lairon was relentless in his pursuit. But after sending the Lairon backwards with a well-placed Take Down, he followed this move up by pounding on the ground and bringing up three large boulders. Surprisingly, the Lairon did the same thing without being told to by his trainer. But while the Pupitar charged at his enemy alongside his boulders, the Lairon simply thrust its weight forward, and the boulders rolled on their own. While this form of Rock Slide caught Cody off guard, the blue-shelled pupa continued his move, unfazed. Unfortunately, his attack came up short when the two sets of boulders collided and smashed into pieces. Though he wasn't hit directly by the Lairon's boulders, the move was still enough to cause the Pupitar to flinch, and before he could shake off the impact, he was struck down by another tackle. Once again, the two of them were locked in a stand-still situation.

"Don't let up guys! Elesa, keep trying! When you get a clear shot, Spark the bird!"

"Let her come!" Cedric dared. At this statement, the Combusken stopped and just stood there as Elesa ran towards her, body crackling with electricity. But on the moment of impact, the bird, though sustaining some electric damage, seemingly reversed the situation. In a swift movement, she flipped her body into a position above Elesa's neck and struck downward with her powerful claws. Elesa shrieked and crashed into the earth, her eyes closing in exhaustion.

"Good effort Elesa," Cody called out, returning his Zebstrika. Really, he shouldn't have been so disappointed. She had put up a good fight, but the enemy Combusken simply outclassed her. But perhaps he could defeat this swift enemy with a pokemon of the same element. "Cortez, work your magic!"

"Wheeeeeee!" the floating candle zoomed out of his pokeball and immediately let loose a barrage of embers at the Lairon, careful not to hit Colossal in the process. However, this attempt, while intelligent, was blocked by Berserker as jumped in between the two and absorbed the flames taking minimal damage.

"Burreeer!" The bird aimed several kicks at the new entry, but the Litwick went insubstantial to dodge the blows.

"Wise up babe!" Cedric ordered. Even without the direct order, the Combusken knew her trainer well enough to get the message. Her claws suddenly began glowing black and with an agile leap, she sprung above Cortez and struck him down.

_A Shadow Claw_, Cody thought to himself. Certain elements had the potential to interrupt a ghost's insubstantialbility, and the power of the mysterious ones themselves was quite effective in doing the job. Cedric must have used a TM on his pokemon to give it an advantage against the paranormal.

"Eeeek!" Cortez was taken by surprise, and was slammed into the ground. He recovered quickly and spread a Night Shade out around him, but this hardly deterred the Combusken as she easily hacked and slashed her was through the shadowy void with her Shadow Claw and managed to get another hit on the little ghost.

"Cortez, try hindering it with a Confuse Ray!" The Litwick produced a purplish sphere that floated to the enemy, but once again, Berserker simply batted the orb away. She was about to lay out one more strike, but before she could succeed, Colossal, wisely noticing that his teammate was in trouble, tackled her with full force. The Lairon, freed from his stalemate with the Pupitar, tried to tackle Cortez, but he managed to phase though the attack just within the nick of time before blowing flames at the steel-clad lizard. Colossal was not holding well against the bird though, as she was much faster than him, peppering him with kicks at all angles.

"You're wearing him out!" Cedric called out to his pokemon. "Try to burn it with a Blaze Kick!" But Cody responded instantaneously with a sudden idea.  
"Cortez, take the kick!" He was worried that the candle would disobey him out of fear of getting hit, but the intelligent ghost pokemon seemed to pick up on what his trainer was driving at. He disappeared and then reappeared between Berserker and his attacker and stayed insubstantial as the bird passed through him. As she passed, the Combusken's flames were absorbed by Cortez, reducing her Blaze Kick to just a regular one. Not only did this interruption reduce the power of the Combusken's attack, but it also boosted his own fire power. As the flame on his head doubled inside, he let out a high pitched wail before unleashing a stream of concentrated fire onto the fighting-bird. Even with her elemental resistance, the blast was enough to knock her onto her back, and before she could get back up, Colossal finished the job by landing one powerful stomp on her chest.

The battle had no pause though, since the moment the Combusken was taken back into her pokeball, the Lairon had already tackled the Litwick and was back to his sparing with Colossal. But Cortez, while exhausted, flew back into the air and readied a fireball. Meanwhile, Colossal knocked Berserker backwards and pulled up a boulder.  
"Make it quick," Cedric ordered coolly. It was a vague command, but Crawler had taken the order like he had been given specific directions. At the last second, he backed up, crouched, and leapt up and over the rock as it was being hurled at him. Once he had surpassed the boulder, he kicked it with its hind legs, and the big rock flew unto Cortez just as it released its fireball. There was a brief and startling explosion, followed by the cry of a pained Litwick. Seconds later, Cody saw his pokemon, floating a few inches above the ground, his eyes closed. Cody was stunned, but he shook off the stiffness immediately. He had never seen a Lairon move like that, but it was no time to marvel at the situation.  
"Damn it, try to tire it out! Chip Away!" Cody ordered as he returned Cortez. The pupated lizard propelled himself at his much faster foe and began to jut its body at the Lairon in a specific way that could loosen or weaken its steal plating, but he barely landed a proper hit as the iron lizard kept backing up and avoiding the blows. "Okay, try being less intricate! Thrash him!" Relinquishing his polished formula of bypassing the Lairon's steel plating, the Pupitar began to wildly slam its body into the opponents head and sides. Despite his plating, Crawler would eventually grow weary if Colossal could keep up the assault.

"Time to shift into the endgame, Crawler!" Cedric stated, not seeming worried at all. "I need you to get some distance between you and the Pupitar and charge."

"Riiiiioooole!" the Lairon screamed as it escaped Colossal's barrage and ran a wide circle around him. After gaining enough distance, he made a fast speed charge at his target… while his body caught a light flame.

_A Flame Charge?_ Unthinkable. "Colossal, get out of the way and try to slow it down with a Rock Slide!" It was too late though. Crawler collided into the Pupitar with a blazing smack before making another wide circle around his foe. This time, Colossal pulled up the boulders in time, but it didn't make any difference. The Lairon was charging so fast now that it easily flew over the boulders and planted its steel head into Colossal's chest. That was enough to end Colossal right there, as the impact of the steel against his rocky hide was too much too handle. When the dust and the flames cleared, there was only Crawler standing victorious.

"Well, that was… amusing," Cedric mused as he approached Cody, his hand outstretched, either to shake hands or collect his winnings. Maybe both.

"Amusing?" Cody asked, scowling. "Do you even realize how condescending that sounds? I at least did well, right? I mean, I beat your Combusken, didn't I?"

"True. But you did have the numbers advantage," Cedric pointed out, smirking smugly. "Still, you're right. I guess you did pretty well for an ametu-"

"Don't even say it," Cody threatened, his eyes narrowing. Even though this defeat was far less humbling than the one he suffered against Hornsby, it still pissed him off that he had to admit it to somebody who had him so clearly pegged from the start.

* * *

"Eh… I was really hoping I could win that battle," Cody muttered as he chewed on some beef jerky that he had brought with him. Cedric was sitting on a nearby stone, taking a bite out of what looked to be a lot healthier than what Cody was eating.

"Well, like you said," Cedric reiterated, "you brought me down to my last pokemon. Better than any other amateurs I've fought recent-"

"Again with that word!" Cody cut in, annoyed with this terminology that the victor kept using. "Don't you have some party to be going to or something?"

"I got time." Cedric replied, relaxed. He stood up from his seat and walked over to where Cody sat, his Shuppet still hovering above his shoulder. On his approach, Antonia gave him a sour look, but Cody reassured her with a pat on the head. "So, Cody… what are you doing out here anyway? This mountain is pretty void of trainers. If you wanted to train, you should have stayed in town. There are plenty of amateurs back there to fight with."

Ignoring that word which he had recently grown to despise, Cody gave a vague answer. "I needed some alone time. I have some thinking to do about all I'm doing, I guess."

"Hmm…" Cedric hummed like he didn't care or he simply didn't wish to pry. "Where you from?"

"Stone Rise. You?"

"Stone Rise, huh? I've been there once," Cedric answered, but then he answered the question Cody had repeated. "Baiting Hollow up north."

Cody cocked his head and stared at the other light haired boy. "Never heard of it."

Cedric just laughed. "I wouldn't expect you to. Nobody's heard of it. It's up in the sticks. That's why I had to get away. Too much shit up there, you know?"

"Surprisingly, I think I might be able to relate," Cody replied, thinking about the problems between his parents. Absent mindedly, he pulled a handful of pokechow from the plastic bag it was in and handed it to Antonia, who greedily picked it out of his hand. "By the way, I gotta ask: what's up with that Lairon of yours? I've never seen a Lairon move that fast."

"Ha, I get that a lot," Cedic chuckled, a small smile of pride emerging on his pale lips. He reached his hand over to stroke his Lairon's head, as his pokemon had remained outside of its ball after winning the battle. "Crawler is kind of a freak in his own species. He's a long-bodied subspecies of the Aron line. Pretty rare, but as you noted, fast."

"Wow, that actually sounds pretty cool," Cody replied, his interest perking up. It was so strange to hear about such a strange subspecies. The closest thing he had to that was Cortez, but according to the doctors, being a gold-type Litwick was just an aesthetic difference.

"Yeah, it has its perks," Cedric agreed. "He's kinda fragile in comparison to the rest of the species, and he can't learn Protect. Not enough 'bulk' or whatever. But he's devastatingly fast. It's perfect for taking opponents off-guard.

"You're telling me," Cody replied, remembering the Lairon's speed and how the monster used it to trump Colossal. "Also, I gotta know: when he used Rock Slide, he didn't have to move with the boulders like my Pupitar does. How does that… how does he do that?"

"Training," the older boy answered blankly. "Pulling rocks out of the ground is easy for ground pokemon. Making them roll on their own is the tough part. You're going to have to train him to extend his 'reach' with the ground. It'll come naturally over time, but it can be learned earlier with the right training."

"Why, what did you do?" Cody curiously questioned. Suddenly, he found himself more interested in what Cedric had to say. All he needed was some common ground.

"Here's what I did: I had Crawler stand on one side of a creek and pull boulders up on the other side," Cedric replied. "It's hard for them at first to pull rocks up from a distance, but it's like a muscle memory for them. Eventually, it becomes second nature." He turned to face Cody, his grey eyes actually looking friendly for a switch. "And trust me kid, if you can teach your Pupitar how to do that, he'll learn Stone Edge at an earlier age. You'll thank me for that later."

"Alright, thanks then," Cody said, biting off another piece of jerky. At first, he expected the conversation to fall silent again, but Cedric surprised him again. "So, I answered your questions. Can you answer some of mine?"

"Sure, shoot." Cody felt slightly apprehensive though. What could this trainer possibly want to know about him?

"Alright… first, why didn't you use your Skarmory? You said you only had three usable pokemon, but you didn't use her. I'm curious?"

Cody wasn't expecting that question. Perhaps that explained Cedric's muttering before the battle began. But, no longer feeling annoyed, he was happy to answer the question. "She's not cleared for battle yet. I caught her as a chick, and her armor only just fully grew in, and she's not cleared to battle in a serious fight for another few days."

"She's still not cleared?" Cedric asked, dumbfounded. "You could have fooled me. That thing looks downright mean." At these words, the tall, steel bird turned to give Cedric a cold glare to match an even colder growl. "See what I mean? Scary stuff. I stand by my claim about you being an amateur and all, but catching and raising a Skarmory at your level? You got balls, friend."

"Ha, thanks," Cody chuckled. Getting recognition for the work he did with Antonia felt pretty great. "It was hard work, but I hope it's worth it. Still, it might be awhile longer before I can use her in an actual gym battle, given that she's still too green. She hasn't fought enough bigger foes yet, you know?"

"Huh, I see." Cedric suddenly had an insightful look. "That's why you're up here training and stuff, I bet."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Cody asked, legitimately curious as to what the other teen was getting at.

"You mentioned 'gym.' And you're up here training alone. It all makes sense: you lost to Hornsby, didn't you?"

Cody examined at Cedric's expression, plastered with a "I'm right, aren't I?" smile. He sighed and admitted, "yeah, you got me."

"Hey, cheer up rookie," Cedric laughed out while giving the younger trainer a hardy pat on the back. "Just about everybody loses to that guy on their first try. I did too. He's no slouch, you know."

"I know, I know," Cody replied heavily. "I just thought I'd do better. I beat Eagle and that guy at the electric gym with not too much difficulty. I thought I could get Hornsby just on type advantage alone. I have two ground pokemon and a water pokemon. I thought that would be enough to win."

"Well obviously, you thought wrong, junior," Cedric said, his voice deepening with seriousness. "Element advantage doesn't necessarily win battles. You have to mix brains and brawn, but I'm sure you already knew that. The important thing here is that you learned something from your battle. What did you learn, Mr. Storm?"

A million things came to mind, but Cody pulled out one of the most frustrating aspects of the battle. "Well… he has a Cacturne. That's not even a ground pokemon. I mean, they live in the desert, but-"

"A note for you: the rules on what pokemon a gym leader can use aren't all that strict," Cedric cut in. "Besides, you should have known better. A ground type gym leader will use pokemon that work well with his team, and obviously, a Cacturne will hamper the progress of your typical water pokemon, right?" After giving that little speech, Cedric continued. "What else did you learn?"

"Well…" the younger trainer pondered, "his pokemon are diverse in themselves, I guess. He's got an indestructible, African Donphan, and a Gligar that poisoned my Zebstrika before trapping her in a Stealth Rock so she couldn't attack."

"Ah, he did that to you to?" Cedric asked, his face reflecting a memory of a similar situation. "He did the same thing to me, but with an Archen. Sucks, don't it?"

"Yeah, thanks," Cody mumbled. "It just seemed so damn unfair that Elesa couldn't even move while the poison was draining her. Cruel almost."

"Well, you learned another thing about Hornsby," Cedric stated, ready to give another speech. "He's known as one of the dirtiest players in Skitrex. Go watch his second battle in the best of five for Kaiser's title of Skitrex Champion. His Maractus faced off with Kaiser's Snorlax, you know, the one that can survive any hit?"

"Yeah, I've seen it on TV before," Cody replied.

"Yeah, anyway, if you don't remember that battle, his Maractus ended up hitting the Snorlax with a Worry Seed. Those things are devious. They cause a pokemon's sympathetic nervous system to go haywire so they can't sleep or even slow down a little bit. To a pokemon like Snorlax, that's a death sentence since they require those mini naps to stay charged. Anyway, after that, the Maractus hit it with a Leech Seed and then just spent the rest of the match-up dodging the Snorlax's attacks until it just passed out from depletion. It's a pure evil strategy, but it works, and it's legal. And while Hornsby may be the Ric Flair of pokemon battles, you better keep up with that style, because many other trainers will exploit tactics like that. Understand?"

"Yeah. I do now," Cody answered. Still, that Donphan… the thing was damn near impossible to hit effectively. It was just a straight up brutal fight."

"Well…" Cedric sighed. "I don't know what to tell you. But maybe if Hornsby is going to play dirty, you might need to play dirty too. Find a way to outsmart the elephant."

"And how would you suggest I do that?" Cody questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Elephants are pretty damn smart."

"Hey, you know your pokemon better than I do. You figure it out," the older boy replied, smiling, though he was no longer looking at Cody, but Antonia. "Also, maybe you ought to consider using your bird."

"I told you already, she's still too green, even if she is cleared," Cody tried to explained, slightly irritated that Cedric didn't hear him the first time, but that didn't stop the other boy from continuing.

"I know I said you need to balance brains and brawn, but sometimes, a little bit of pure ferocity will do the trick. Maybe you just need to come in with a pokemon that's unpredictable and reckless. Your pokemon I saw today were strong, but they all followed a structured strategy. I'm guessing your Skarmory does not, given her experience. On the topic of her battle experience though… sometimes, all we need is a little push."

"Okay… If you say so…" Cody said, doubt in his tone. He reached over and ran his hand down Antonia's neck. She looked back at him, her eyes gleaming with youth and passion that were a perfect reflection of her will to destroy. Suddenly without any sort of warning, the steel bird took off running towards the ledge, her wings outstretched. Once her feet left the ground with a running leap, she fell once she was over the edge. Cody stood up in a knee-jerk reaction at his pokemon who had just fallen off the cliff… or at least that is what he thought at first.

"SKREEE!" Out over the picturesque landscape, he saw Antonia soaring at high speeds. She had finally proven that she had no fear that he had considered at first. Perhaps she would prove him wrong in other ways sometime soon.


	29. Chapter 29: Iron Maiden

**I'm not dead! But my excuse? I'm just too damn busy! College doesn't allow me much down time. But I'll keep trying to write these chapters for you guys. For those of you reading since day one, you guys rock. Now get comfy: this is my longest chapter yet. Like, ridiculously long. So long, congressmen should read it when they're pulling filibusters. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Iron Maiden**

"Okay, let's look at the damage," Cody said as he knelt down to his pokemon's level. "Here Mars! Come to me!"

"Weik weik!" the mole squeaked promisingly. He had just had his cone removed, and the cast on his paw had been downsized to a formfitting one. It wasn't an optimal condition, but if he could move, he could battle: something that Cody knew his pokemon was willing to do. The Diglett took a few easy steps towards his trainer before stumbling some. He tried to walk properly, but the rest of his steps were accompanied by an obvious limp. When he finally reached his trainer's knees, he looked up at his trainer, sadness gleaming in his beady black eyes.

"Hey, hey, no worries friend," Cody cooed as he stroked his pokemon's fur. Although his voice reflected his gratefulness that his pokemon tried, he was no longer resting easy. His rematch for the Terra Badge was in fourteen hours and he didn't have a fully trained fifth member. If Mars had to sit out, he had either two options: fight with only four pokemon versus Hornsby's five, or use Antonia… and he was still having his doubts.

The training he had done for his rematch was focused and frequent as he worked on improving his pokemons' individual strengths and aiding them in their weaknesses. When he wasn't working with his pokemon individually, he spent time devising strategies for dealing with Hornsby's team members, assuming he used some of the same members he used before. Taking Cedric's advice, he began to devise a way to fight that Donphan, which he was sure the leader would use. It was a risky plan he developed. A stupid one at first glance, given the sacrifice involved, but sometimes desperate times required desperate measures. On top of that, he ended up dropping a lot of money into an expensive TM that he believed would give him the edge in battle. But was he desperate enough to use Antonia? Even though four trained pokemon and a half-trained one technically made his odds better than just four on their own, he didn't want to risk his Skarmory getting hurt on a level she wasn't prepared for.

"Still can't walk, huh?" Heather asked as she knelt down next to Cody and reached her hand over to pet the Diglett. Even though her battle for the badge was not for another five days, she was just as anxious as Cody was, and the two had been working together to form good battle plans for their future fights.

"Not well enough," Cody muttered sadly in response. "I know he'd be willing to fight, but I don't want him to get hurt anymore. He needs to recover…"

"So what's the plan? Are you going to use her?" Heather asked, looking over to Antonia, who was asleep, nested next to a space heater. "I don't know if I should," Cody murmured. "I don't want her to get seriously hurt at this stage in her life. She's still too green. I'd love to give her a chance, 'cause I know she wants to fight, but you've seen how Hornsby's team is. That Donphan would crush her. That Gligar would rip her apart. I don't think she'd last too long. Maybe she'd get in a few odd hits, but that's if she's lucky. If that Shieldon is in the game again, that would probably be her best bet, but otherwise… I'm gonna try not to use her. That guy I met, Cedric… he thinks she'd be a good wild card, but I still think she needs more time."

"So…" Heather hummed, awaiting Cody to answer the call, though he did not, "you said try. Does that mean-"

"Yes. Five is better than four, even if the fifth is the weak link," Cody answered, though his tone wasn't encouraging. "But I really don't want to even use her as damage fodder, so I'm putting her last on the line. Hopefully at most, she'll just have to clean up the scraps, but if she actually has to fight a much stronger opponent-"

"You worry too much. I'm sure you'll do fine if you get some sleep. You've been up late five nights in a row now." She touched his shoulder, easing some of his tension. Cody's frown slowly dissolved at the contact, and he looked up into her warm eyes. Heather rarely ever had anything complex to say, but her affection that sometimes bordered on the motherly level really helped. With the insanity that seemed to follow his life like a tail, at least he had that one sane person around that kept him from going crazy and punching somebody… namely Jared. "Thanks," he finally replied after her words sunk in. "But I can't sleep yet. You've been a big help, so I think we need to revise your strategy for your re-match. I suggest-"

"Cody, my battle isn't for another five days because I was actually sane enough to wait a little bit longer," she reminded him, giving him a light slap on the arm.

"Then you better take advantage of it," he retorted smartly, giving her a wily grin. "We have an hour. Let's just discuss the basics. I think your key to winning is to have Somnos use his Hypnosis, if or when he faces that Donphan. Otherwise-" As he continued to explain his idea, he let his effort for helping Heather take over his mind. At this point in time, he had done all that he could to prepare for his battle the next day. Now it was up to fate. Dwelling on it would only drive him crazy.

* * *

_Okay, just focus. You've done your homework and you have a plan. Just go out there and win. Don't let your guard down. You already know firsthand how smart Hornsby is and how dirty he plays. Just focus and play the game as it comes. Of course… what if he out thinks me? I only have four trained pokemon for this and one that's still practically wild. When he- no… no I'll play the game. Just need to remember not to show my hand. _

With his battle coming up in mere minutes, Cody was busy trying to calm his nerves. He had already gone over the strategy several times in his head, but now that the time for fighting was near, he was going into panic mode. Hornsby had probably seen it all. What if he saw through the younger trainer's scheme?

"Three minutes, Mr. Storm," the receptionist reminded him, though the middle aged woman barely took her eyes away from her computer. She just knew he was there, since he was pacing, as his steps had been echoing throughout the lobby. "Thank you," he replied in an empty voice while his eyes didn't rise from the floor. Deciding that he ought not to disturb her anymore, he walked into one of the arched hallways that lead to the main stadium to pace some more. But he barely took another pace before that familiar, raspy voice interrupted his thoughts.

"If you really want to calm your nerves, I would suggest tea, or meditation. Pacing will only wear a hole in the floor." Cody stopped, not bothering to turn around. This game was getting old. "Stella," he greeted neutrally. "You've come at a bad time. I'm kind of having a miniature meltdown over here."

"That's why I came," she answered. "To wish you luck in your endeavor with this gym so that it may go better than last time."

"How did you know that I… forget it, I don't want to know." He turned around to face his elderly stalker, though the sight was no longer surprising to him. Stella was still old. Still gray. Still gross looking overall. What weirded Cody out the most was the fact that Stella was still wearing the shawls that she always wore whenever she met with him. Did she ever change or wash her clothes? Or did she just have several copies of the same outfit? "You know, you showing up isn't exactly encouraging, right? Normally when I see you, something bad has happened or will happen. You're not exactly a good luck charm."

"Hmph," the old crone scoffed indignantly. "Perhaps you should change your perception of luck."

"And what? Call you my guardian angel?" Cody cried out, almost jokingly, though he wasn't smiling. "You're more of a personal demon if you ask me. Heather doesn't believe you exist. Doesn't believe Darkrai exists either. I almost expected her to have me institutionalized when I told her."

"But you know better," she stated, her tone holding no sympathy.

"I don't know sometimes… maybe if you actually showed yourself to her and Jar-"

"The Dark One is your burden to bear. Not theirs'." Her voice had shifted from emotionless to grave. "Should they continue to walk beside you, they will face the threat eventually, but it would be foolish to pull them into your responsibilities."

"I don't want to…" Cody retorted, his voice shaking, "but maybe if they knew, they won't be so shocked when the time comes… right?"

"Maybe so… but it's still a matter of what they believe. _If_ they believe. Do as you wish, young Storm, but be weary of your decisions."

"Whatever," he muttered back, shaking his head. The woman never made any sense. "Why are you really here?" He still didn't buy her reasoning as the woman had never watched him battle before. At least he didn't think she had before at least. "For those who have experienced loss of any kind, the strong will grow stronger, as a blister forms a callus. Throughout your life, you shall experience loss in many forms. It is how you heal from your loss that matters. That, Cody Storm: that is why I am here today."

Though the young teen only caught a glimpse of what the old fortune teller had told him, he still felt lost in her proverb. "Okay, now can you say that in English?" he asked humorlessly.

"Sometimes…" Stella groaned as she placed her head in her withered hand. "Sometimes I almost feel bad for the Dark One for having to put up with you."

"Cody Storm! Please report to the arena for your match!" the intercom seemed to roar throughout the building.

"Well, whatever you may think, I need to get going," Cody replied, already feeling relieved to get away from the spooky crone that always seemed to know what was happening with him, even if she never appeared to be around. "You have a good da-" he paused, rethinking his words. "You just give me a bit of space, and we'll be fine. I can handle this." Not waiting for any sort of answer, he walked towards the exit of the hallway. When he told Madame Stella that he could handle "it," he meant the battle, but that statement also included the daunting presence of the phantom that haunted his dreams. He would handle them both, and he wasn't going to fall easily.

Once he entered the stadium, he felt as if everybody in the seating was giving him looks of criticism, as if they knew that he had failed in his last attempt to beat Hornsby. Of course, he knew how illogical this was. Trainers lose to gyms all the time, and this gym was hardly an exception. Yet, he still felt his cheeks reddening in shame. Part of him wished he could beat all of these gyms on his first try, but it was foolish to think he was the very best at his level. But it was not the time to feel sorry for himself. He had a badge to win, and he couldn't let his opponent see any weakness.

"You've returned, Mr. Storm," Martin Hornsby greeted, his grin spread wide. Cody made sure his face remained neutral in expression though. It was difficult, given that he had perceived an almost condescending tone in the graying gym leader's voice, though upon later reflection, he figured that he had probably imagined it.

"Yes indeed," he replied smoothly. "I don't intend to leave without the Terra Badge. I will keep coming back here until I win it from you. Understand?"

"Yes indeed," Hornsby chuckled. "I like that about you. Unwavering determination. Just remember that determination alone will not win a match. So now, same rules as last time. Are you ready?"

"Always," Cody responded. It felt so strange, now that the humor between the two of them was gone, despite Hornsby's attempts to reignite it. So the two just shook hands and walked to their respective platforms. As he glanced over at the crowd, he cracked a smile at Heather, who returned it with her flawless one as she readied the camera. As his gaze continued through the crowd, he saw that Madame Stella had not lied to him. She was in the back corner of the arena, sitting alone and watching pensively. He could have pointed her existence out to his friends so that they might believe him, but he decided it was not a good time to make a scene. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

"This is a third tier battle for the Terra badge!" the referee boomed. "Challenger Cody Storm vs. Loamford City Gym Leader Martin Hornsby! This battle will follow standard rules, and each trainer is allowed five pokemon! Trainers! Ready your pokemon!"

He tugged on Colossal's pokeball and smirked. He decided that he needed to start this battle out strong, and who else would be better to lead than his rock solid Pupitar?

"Trainers, begin!" Not bothering to flourish his entrance, Cody threw the pokeball into the arena at full force. However, he was caught completely off guard by his foe's choice in pokemon. For when Colossal emerged, he was facing down one of his greatest foe. Tantor the gigantic Donphan.

"Shit…" he harshly whispered. Cody had not expected Hornsby to lead with one of his strongest pokemon at the third tier. He figured that the man would start with something weaker; something that Colossal could handle on his own. But regardless of Colossal's desire to fight this powerful foe from the start, Hornsby had thrown a wrench into his plans. Albeit, a small wrench, but a wrench nonetheless. _Great… gonna have to waste my free switch._ So before the battle began, he reluctantly raise his hand, Colossal's pokeball clutched within.

"Wait… already?" the referee asked, puzzled by this immediate switch out. "You realize this will count towards your-"

"I'm well aware of the rules," Cody interrupted, a chill in his voice. Without anymore wasted motion, he returned the blue-shelled pokemon to his ball, already pulling out his next contender, ready to begin the plan for Tantor that he had decided on earlier.

"Hm, a new pokemon already?" Hornsby questioned. "It's good that you learn from your mistakes, but will whoever you send in next do better?"

"I think he will," Cody answered, his devious grin spreading widely. "Cortez! You know what to do!"

Once the thrown ball released the floating candle to face the much larger elephant, murmurings of the crowd hummed through the air. Surely, a Pupitar would have been better suited for combat against such a large enemy? All but Heather looked confused. She was the only one who knew the plan.

"Your Litwick? Interesting." Hornsby looked both amused and fascinated, though he was not slowed. "Tantor! Bring it down."

"Hrrannhhh!" The elephant broke into a charge and used its momentum to hurl its huge form at the tiny ghost. However, the little Litwick simply phased through the attacker, who landed in his wheel form once he hit the ground, beginning his Rollout.

"Wheeeeeeee!" Cortez squealed as if he did not register the direness that was this match up. Once Tantor had hit the ground again, the ghost shot out several fireballs at the pachyderm, all of them either missing or simply bursting on contact against the Donphan's thick hide, barely leaving so much as an ash mark on his skin. As Tantor rolled a wide circle around the battlefield, Cortez erected a Night Shade wall between himself and the Donphan, though the elephant broke through the wall with ease and bounced up towards Cortez. This time, even though the ghost went insubstantial, he was unable to completely phase though the attack, now that it had a mild elemental basis. Cortez was knocked back, but he picked himself back up, flew high into the air above his opponent, and let out a thin spiral of flames that surrounded the elephant.

"That won't hold Tantor," Hornsby said, though his initial words were drowned out by the crackling of the flames that surrounded his Donphan. "Rapid Spin." Still in his wheel formation, the Donphan began to spin in circles like a dust devil, using the combination of wind and dirt to powder out the flames before bouncing into Cortez once again.

_Damn. Just need to hold him still for just a moment… _It was the only way the plan would work. "Cortez! You need to slow it down if you want to- Never mind, hit it with a Confuse Ray!" The ghost produced a purplish orb that glided over to the Donphan, but what the elephant did next was both brilliant yet strange. It raised its long trunk and inhaled the purple orb before shooting it back out, backed by a loud trumpeting cry. It flew straight back at Cortez, who dodged it easily, but looked saddened by the failed attack. _What the… this Donphan has an answer for everything. How am I going to… wait a minute._ A new possibility had arisen. "Cortez! Don't let up! Confuse Ray!"

"Just keep blowing it back, Tantor!" Hornsby ordered calmly. Over the course of about a minute, Cortez had shot seven more Confuse Rays at his opponent, and one by one, the Donphan just kept snuffing them up his trunk and blowing them back at the Litwick like a cannon. Each time, the elephant had grown better at catching the orbs and shooting them back, getting closer to hitting his target every shot. It was adapting. The audience began to chatter amongst themselves about the point of this seemingly fruitless endeavor, but Cody had to force his grin down.

"Mr. Storm," Hornsby chided from the other side of the arena, "you know that repeating a failed strategy will rarely bring about new results, correct?"

"Oh, I know," Cody said back, now letting his grin emerge. "I also know that it's dangerous to fall into predictable patterns. Cortez, Will-O-Wisp!"

"What? No! Tantor, don't-" The gym leader was far too late to change his situation. Upon seeing the orb that Cortez had produced, the Donphan instinctually inhaled it (despite the fact that the orb was blue and burning, rather than purple and mystic.) However, upon inhaling the burning ball, the elephant let out a pained roar, for the moment the fire had entered his nose, it burned all of the soft spots inside his nose, mouth, and throat. As the elephant began to stagger, Cody saw his opportunity to enact his plan.

"Cortez, curse him!" The following scene was one that few viewing would forget. Giggling as always, the tiny Litwick flew down to above the Donphan and began to recite an ancient chant. While babbling the seemingly incoherent gibberish, several black flames encircled the candle as a large, ghostly needle, dripping with black fog, materialized in front of him. Then, without warning, the needle flew forward and seemed to stab straight through the Litwick before disappearing. But all the while, Cortez was laughing maniacally. It was as if he took pleasure in his pain. Finally, after the needle was gone, the black flames encircled the Donphan, who was coming to and had realized what had just happened: he had been cursed.

"Tantor, Stomp the little poltergeist!" Hornsby commanded, still keeping his cool. The elephant tried to smack the ghost with his long trunk, but Cortez easily dodged the sluggish move and set up a Hex. The move made the elephant cringe, but despite the curse that was on him, Cortez fared far worse. Though he was still giggling like a deranged child, the curse had inflicted massive damage on him to perform. The second time Tantor attacked the Litwick, he landed all of his weight on him in a heavy Magnitude. The ghost had been got.

"Litwick is unable to battle! Donphan is the winner!"

"Good job Cortez! Take a rest!" Cody praised as he returned his pokemon. He was content with his results, as he never expected Cortez to win the fight. He just needed to inflict the curse on the Donphan, and he did. Cody could only feel glee at his success thus far. Playing dirty was so much fun. "Cleaning time, Colossal!"

When the Pupitar entered the field to face the Donphan again, the scene was much different than before, for while Cortez had barely landed any hits, he had reversed the playing field. Now the smaller pupa had the advantage. "Headbutt!"

"Tackle it!" Hornsby shouted. Both pokemon flew towards each other and their collision ended in a stalemate, as Tantor's energy and power were draining from the curse that had been placed on him. After several seconds, Colossal shifted to the side and landed a jet-propelled tackle on the Donphan's side, knocking it over. The effects of the curse were so obvious in comparing the last time Colossal had tried such a move. "Dark Pulse!" Several black, pulsing blobs flew from the Pupitar to his target, making a direct hit. When the elephant finally regained its footing, it managed to land a Hammer Arm (or rather, a Hammer Trunk) on Colossal, still having enough power to temporarily knock him senseless. Following this, the elephant placed all of its weight on the prone pupa with a Magnitude. It almost looked as though the tables had turned, but ever attack was draining the Donphan even more.

"One more Magnitude should do it!" the gym leader recommended. Taking his trainer's advice, the Donphan rolled into a wheel and made a wide circle around his target before leaping into the air and extending his body to make the slam. However, both the elephant and his trainer had underestimated Colossal's durability.

"Body Slam!" Cody shouted before the Donphan had left the ground. Colossal gathered his strength and shot himself like a bullet at Tantor's chest, which was wide open in his attack. The elephant roared before falling onto his back, but the Pupitar would not relent. He began thrashing at the flailing elephant's body until it fell still.

"Donphan is unable to battle! Pupitar is the winner!" At the referee's announcement, the audience cheered and clapped excitedly. Caught up in the excitement of the moment, Cody let out a cheer before wiping the sweat off of his brow. He had done it. No, his pokemon had done it. They defeated the invincible Donphan, and he still had pokemon to spare for the rest of the fight.

_Yes, the rest of the fight,_ Cody reminded himself in reality's onset. _One down, four to go…_ "I'm impressed," Hornsby admitted, chuckling to himself as he returned his Donphan. "You formed a strategy to deal with one of my tougher pokemon and it worked. But the rest of my team is fine tuned. Do not think you have won yet, Cody Storm." With a flick of his wrist, his second pokeball opened on the field to reveal Magenta, the Gligar.

_Crap, can Colossal handle her? Sure, Bastion could, but not after that thing took out two of my- _"Headbutt!"

"Fly and use Stealth Rock!" Letting out an ear-tearing screech, the Gligar swooped right above its attacker before flying up to the ceiling, levitating the rocks as it rose above the stadium. However, while these rocks may have stopped Elesa, they had no such effect on Colossal. The Pupitar jetted through the floating stones, crushing each one he hit. Unfortunately, his momentum had been slowed so much that the fly-scorpion easily flew out of the way of the shot. "Now Brick Break!" Elegantly dodging the rocks, Magenta flew up close to her foe and smacked him in such a way that the onlookers could hear the cracking of rock. Colossal let out an agonizing roar until he hit the ground. He tried to retaliate, but Magenta was back in the air again.

_He's using another dirty trick._ Obviously, Magenta was at home in the air, while Colossal had to leave his element in order to make any hits. However, the moment he was up in the air, he had nothing left. "Try a Rock Throw!" Cody ordered, though he wasn't sure how well that would work, considering the rocks that were already floating and the Gligar's speed. As he predicted, the endeavor failed. One by one, Colossal pulled up rocks, hoisted them up on his head, and hurled them towards his enemy. One by one, they all missed by a mile, since Magenta saw each stone coming. _If only he had some other projectile that- Wait, he does!_ "Colossal, tackle her!" Not questioning the order, the pupa shot into the air once more, smashing the rocks he passed. It was too obvious that the Gligar would avoid the attack.

"You know what to do," Hornsby ordered, but his implied order would not follow.

"Dark Pulse!" Once at the peak if his height, Colossal let out the black pulses for the second time in the battle. Luckily, one hit Magenta, and she let out a screech as she spiraled downward. The Pupitar was lucky though, as he had landed on one of the floating rocks, giving him the ultimate vantage point to prepare his next strike. Flying like a bullet, he headbutted the fallen Gligar right on her left wing. For a moment, the fight looked over, but Magenta was quickly back to her feet. However, that was as far as she could go, because when she attempted to fly, she could barely even flutter.

"No matter," Hornsby sighed, "she can still fight. Magenta, Cross Poison!" Letting out another screech, the pink fly-scorpion ran towards Colossal at an alarming speed, claws ready to strike.

"Thrash!" Cody ordered, feeling his fears return, now that he knew the Gligar could still fight. But fortune was on his side, since his Pupitar was much better suited for ground combat. It began to beat on Magenta mercilessly until surprisingly, the Gligar dug underground. _Huh, it can't fly, but it can still di-_ Before Cody could complete that thought, the fly-scorpion had burst out from under Colossal and the bigger pokemon fell on his face. But Magenta was not done there. She hopped on the pupa's backside and jammed her good pincher into the opening she had made earlier with her Brick Break. It was only seconds later that Colossal had shaken her off, but the damage had been done, as he began to sway back and forth. The Cross Poison worked fast.

"Hoooooome…" the blue-shelled behemoth hummed as his eyes began to droop. He tried to hit the flying bug, but with the venom running through his veins, he was too sluggish and woozy to connect while Magenta danced around him, peppering him with light strikes. Something needed to be done and quick or Cody would be down another pokemon.

"Don't let up buddy! Try a Screech to slow him down!" Closing his eyes, Colossal let out a deafening roar that pulsated throughout the room. It was unfortunate that as a Pupitar, Colossal's screech was not as high in frequency as it was when he was a Larvitar, and so, it was not as strong. To the audience members and trainers in battle, it was only a mild nuisance to listen to. However, at close range, it broke Magenta's concentration as she rocked back and forth, covering her ears to muffle the noise. But while doing this, something unexpected occurred: Magenta lost her concentration and the floating rocks began to fall like rain drops. One big rock in particular dropped right on her head and she fell over. While Colossal was not hit, the poison finally got to him and he fell over as well.

Both Gligar and Pupitar are unable to battle!" the referee shouted. "This round is a draw!"

Cody couldn't help but grin again at the results. While he felt terrible that Colossal had to go out to poison, the pokemon had managed to overcome two of Hornsby's, evening the odds.

"Well played, Storm!" the gym leader's voice boomed. "But we are hardly finished! Now that your tank has run out of firepower, what will you do?"

"I thought of everything," Cody replied, half-feigning his smugness. Both trainers threw their pokeballs inward and the next match up began.

_I thought of everything._ That comment came back to burn him when he saw his next obstacle. Elesa, while one of his bigger pokemon, was severely dwarfed by the Onix that stood before her. As Cody eyed the big rock snake, he felt his confidence drain again. This Onix was obviously young, given that it looked like a twenty footer, but an Onix was still an Onix. Every time Cody had faced Jared's Onix, he got beaten badly. Sure, this Onix was a juvenile, but it was still freaking huge. Not that Elesa cared. She stamped her foot and snorted meanly like she did for all of her opponents. Even so… _That TM better be worth it._ "Elesa, do not let that thing wrap around you! Try to tire it out!"

"Keep it on its toes, Kaa! Magnitude!" Calmly, the large serpent slammed his tail against the ground, making the earth shake. As Cody grabbed onto the railing for balance, he noted that Elesa had jumped at the right time to avoid getting shaken up by the tremor. However, she was acting to brash as she tried to slam her electrified body into the Onix's side. Her attempt was comparable to that of a BB pellet being shot at a plate of steel. Even if her electricity had any effect on the big snake, it was still a feeble attempt to try and inflict any sort of damage.

"Slam!" Kaa knocked the horse back with his rocky tail before using it to lift a boulder and toss it at the electric pokemon. Elesa just barely got to her feet in time to avoid the hit. Jumping to avoid a second Magnitude, her body exploded with a Shockwave that collided with the Onix's body, only to prove futile once more.

"Okay Elesa! Obviously, that's not working!" Cody called out, annoyed at his pokemon's inability to pick up the obvious. "Use your hooves! Double Kick!"

"Stop her with a Rock Slide!" Hornsby shot back. The rock snake effortlessly pulled up a half dozen boulders and sent them at Elesa by individually slapping each one with his tail. The electric horse serpentined her way between the rolling rocks, leaping onto of the last one before leaping up and over the Onix's head. But as she passed behind the bigger pokemon, and like a loaded spring, her steel-like hooves unloaded into the back of the snake's head.

"Grooaaar!" Kaa roared as its large head crashed into the earth. It quickly pulled itself back up, but not before taking another kick to the torso. The Onix tried to slam the Zebstrika again, but before she even got close, Cody ordered her to use Flash. When the blinding light faded, the rock snake took another kick straight to the nose.

"Enough of this! Dig!" At an unthinkable speed, the Onix burrowed underground where Elesa couldn't follow him. For a few seconds, all the Zebstrika could do was snort and neigh in frustration and anticipation. But her wishes for her foes reappearance was granted when the young Onix exploded from under the earth and sent the horse flying. Elesa could barely recover before the Onix wrapped his long body around Cody's poor pokemon and began to squeeze. Desperately, Elesa tried to shock her captor, but the electricity did nothing but slightly annoy Kaa.

_Okay, it's now or never. Hopefully the DNA alterations from the TM have fully taken effect…_ "Elesa, Hidden Power!"

"Neeeaghh!" she whinnied wildly as her body momentarily had a light glow of green. Letting loose another roar of pain, the Onix relinquished his grip, and slithered away in pain. Cody smiled to himself at the prediction the doctors at the pokemon center had told him. All pokemon had at least a little bit of mystical power inside of them, and just about all of them could utilize said power in the Hidden Power technique. The doctors had told Cody that Elesa's inner power would be manifested like a grass type move. Now that she knew the power of the move, she was bound to abuse it on a pokemon that had an elemental weakness to it. Her body glowed green again before releasing a sizable green sphere that hit the Onix in the face. The rock snake would not give in though, as it opened its mouth and released an orange, frothy Dragon Breath in a last ditch effort to slow the speedy Zebstrika down, but she easily cleared the flames and Kaa's head in a single bound before releasing another Double Kick to the back of his head. Letting out one final roar, the young Onix's upper body crashed into the ground.

"Onix is unable to battle! Zebstrika is the winner!"

_Hmm, that went easier than expected_, Cody mused to himself. It then occurred to him that he was in the lead. Sure, Elesa had sustained some general damage, but she was still stomping her foot for her next enemy.

"Caught me off-guard," Hornsby admitted, smiling. "But speed is useless when nothing can be seen. Shade! Sandstorm!" he ordered as the pokeball flew from his hand.

"Elesa, Flame Charge!" Codu shouted out in response. Luckily, Elesa managed to hit the Cacturne with her flaming run before it could create a sandstorm, but the grass-dark pokemon wasn't knocked down. Letting out a loud cackle, it threw its arms forward and whipped up a mighty sandstorm. Cody could just barely see the figure of Elesa on the battlefield, but Shade the Cacturne was nowhere in sight. Hornsby's method had given him three advantages: Elesa could not run or see well in a sandstorm, she could not easily ignite her flames in a sandstorm (that would have given her an edge in this matchup,) and Shade could easily be hiding anywhere within the swirling dirt. Or he would be if Elesa didn't have trick to picking out the needle in the haystack.

"Elesa, Shock Wave!" Cody knew this attack would do little to a grass pokemon surrounded by an electricity blocking sandstorm, but the blast of electricity did the job. The electric attack homed in towards the scarecrow pokemon, and all Elesa needed to do was follow it. She chased the blast into the sands, and moments later, the Cacturne's scream was heard as he was sent flying towards Cody's position. "Again!"

"Sucker Punch!" Hornsby commanded. Of course, neither the gym leader nor his pokemon were going to fall for the same trick twice. Before the Zebstrika could let out another blast of electricity, she was smacked by one of the cactus pokemon's ghostly punches. Though the damaged zebra could not figure out where the punch had come from, Cody could see Shade in view.

"Elesa! Follow the sound of my voice before he changes position!" The horse barreled towards Shade and successfully landed a Spark on the grass pokemon. But coming in too close was a dangerous thing, for before she could circle around and try to land another attack, the Cacturne swept at her with one of his long, spined arms and made contact on her side. The horse whinnied in agony while Shade leapt forward and planted his two feet on Elesa's back while sticking his other arm to her other side. Cody could just barely make out that the Cacturne had used Ingrain on Elesa, which would absorb energy straight from her body as opposed to the earth. Shade's leeching, combined with the whipping sands, would be the end of Elesa unless Cody could find some miracle.

"Now drain her! If she falls over, she will be unable to get back up!" Hornsby shouted. Elesa ran in circles, trying to buck her attacker off of her back while zapping him with electric shocks. The Cacturne just laughed though, as the electricity barely hurt him, and nothing Elesa could do was working against him. After three painful minutes of struggle, the horse fell to her knees.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle! Cacturne is the winner!"

"Good work babe! Return!" Once Elesa was back in her ball, Cody scowled as he reviewed his options. The truth was that he had hoped he'd have Cortez to deal with this pokemon, but that option was no longer viable. The only pokemon he had left were Bastion and Antonia, and the decision ached him. Elementally, Antonia would be a better candidate. Her steel plating would help her resist the sandstorm and the Cacturne's attacks. On top of that, her attacks would likely tear the opponent to shreds. On the flip side, Cody knew that she was still too green. An experienced pokemon like Shade could easily counter hid disadvantages, and Cody couldn't help but picture Antonia slowly and painfully being drained by that wicked foe. Bastion, despite having more experience, was at an elemental disadvantage, and the last time he faced this Cacturne, he was beat. Badly.

_No good options. Still, Antonia is still too inexperienced. I need to keep her out of this battle at all costs._ Cody lifted Bastion's pokeball and hurled it onto the field. "Bastion, Aqua Jet!"

"Needle Arm!" Fortunately for the Wartortle, the first of Shade's attacks missed him while he managed to slam his shell into the scarecrow's face. The second Needle Arm was far more accurate though, as it slammed into the turtle's chest. Bastion was only slightly phased though and quickly recovered, shooting a strong Water Gun attack at his enemy, though it seemed to have little effect. But it was then that Cody noticed something that he hadn't noticed before. When Bastion had sprayed his foe with water, it had dampened the spinning sands, causing them to clump and crash into Shade's body and the ground. _Hmm…_ _wet, sticky dirt can't be picked up by the sandstorm as easily. Perhaps…_ "Bastion, get in the air and spray down all this sand! Use Water Gun while spinning!"

"Pin him down and drain him!" Hornsby shouted. The Cacturne kept sweeping his arms at his foe, but Bastion just barely dodged each one in his sprint before launching himself into the air before withdrawing into his shell and spraying water everywhere. He repeated the process several times, continually dodging the incoming Needle Arms between jumps. For ten minutes, this dragged on, but Cody saw the difference. The Sandstorm was growing weaker and weaker as it lost soil to the water, and Cody noticed that the Cacturne was having difficulty moving now, especially since its feet (which were still implementing the ingrain) could not support his body in all the wet soil.

"We got him on the ropes! He's got nowhere to hide, and he can't stand well. Knock him down!" Cody ordered, feeling the confidence rush back into his system. The Wartortle let loose a spray of water straight at the scarecrow's face, but it seemed weaker in volume than normal. For the first time in awhile, Bastion was running short on water, as he had sprayed most of it to dampen the field. "Okay bud, get close and-"

"Needle Arm!" For the final time, the Cacturne's stretched arms tried to smack down the turtle, but Cody's pokemon easily saw this move coming now that the sands were dead. With ease, the Wartortle hopped up, landed on the extended arm, and ran up it towards his opponent's face where he slammed his tail as it glowed with steel for a brief moment. Shade did not stand a chance, as he simply fell back into the mud, motionless.

"Cacturne is unable to battle! Wartortle is the winner!"

"Well played," Hornsby chuckled as he returned his grass pokemon. "We'll have to dry off the field before the next fight. But lucky for me, my final pokemon doesn't need solid ground. Do yours?" His final poke ball was one of those rare premier balls that Cody had always seen, but never actually received at any point in his journey thus far. Could such a special ball be used to hold a special pokemon? "Nixon, you know what to do."

For all of his life, Cody always believed that pokemon, being creatures of nature, were all beautiful in their own way. In that moment, he humbly stood corrected. The pokemon that rested before Bastion was the definition of the word ugly. It was hulking, triangular shaped pokemon made of blue stone, with a circular, red hat, and a large red nose of stone that had a bushy mustache underneath. _Hope it isn't as strong as it is disturbing. _"Tackle it!"

"Magnet Rise." Hornsby's voice was almost stoic, as was his pokemon, as it let out a deep hum while rising upwards. Bastion missed his target, landing in the mud he had created, but he stood up again, ready to fight. The mud only slowed him down a little though. Hopefully not enough to hinder the turtle after he had survived a sandstorm for over ten minutes, evident by the scratches and dried blood on his face. But it would take more than a little dirt to slow this Wartortle down. "Earth Power!" At his trainer's order, the Probopass began to hum again and giant geysers of mud began to erupt all over the field. Bastion tried to run from the blasts, but the earth powered explosions kept bursting closer and closer to him every step he took. Finally, one erupted right under the turtle's feet, and he was launched into the air. Luckily for him, the Wartortle landed on his feet and tried to move into offense again, attempting a tackle. However, while this attack hit its mark right on the nose (literally), the foe Probopass wasn't hurt at all. In fact, he didn't even _move._ It was as if the attack was like a light breeze to him. "Now Magnet Bomb!"

"Bastion, dodge and use Water Gun!" Cody commanded, gritting his teeth. He knew Bastion didn't have much water left, but this pokemon was part rock, so he had to hope for a miracle. The enemy pokemon formed a steely looking ball in front of his stony body and launched it at Bastion, who was running. While the attack missed by a foot, the impact that the bomb created when hitting the ground, combined with the explosion it made, knocked Bastion off his feet. As quickly as he could, Bastion rose once more and sprayed a Water Gun at the Probopass. The stream was weak, but it was still enough to make the foe wince… but that was it. The stone pokemon barely seemed phased by the water jet, though it was being pushed back slowly.

"Lock-On." Even whilst being hit by the water, the Probopass opened its eyes wide and began to adjust its focus on Bastion, turning his body towards the target. Just as Bastion's water stream finally ended, Hornsby made his next command. "Zap Cannon!" It began to charge an electrical discharge to be released in several seconds. "Protect!" Cody shouted in panic as the Probopass released its electric blast. Bastion was able to throw up his protective shield and managed to avoid taking a direct hit. Of course, the attack was so strong, the bubble that the turtle created shattered at the end of the blast. Cody frowned, though he saw that result coming. At this rate, Bastion was only delaying the inevitable. _Okay, I only get one of those. Better keep Bastion on offense. Zap Cannons don't hit often, so as long as that Probopass can't lock on… _"Hit it with an Iron Tail!"

"Ruahh!" Bastion grunted fervidly. It rushed its foe, leapt into the air, and struck the Probopass right between the eyes with its steel covered tail. The opponent flinched in pain and let out a low moan, but it was far from fainting.

_Okay… maybe a few more of those_. "Bastion, Iron Tail again!"

"Zap Cannon!" Hornsby said, smiling to himself, only to receive a confused look from Cody. But the teen was about to know why. As the Wartortle circled around in a run to gain momentum, he finally leapt in the air as his tail glowed with iron once more. But before he even hit his target, the Probopass released his trump card as he swiveled perfectly to face Bastion and let out his second Zap Cannon. This time, he hit Bastion directly, knocking the turtle back. Bastion didn't even have time to scream from being hit like that, as he had fainted before he had even hit the ground.

"Wartortle is unable to battle! Probopass is the winner!" After returning Bastion, it only took a few seconds for Cody to realize what had occurred. The Nosepass line had always been famous for being both compasses and pokemon in one. The magnetism in their bodies (mostly within their noses) allowed them to do various things, such as float and create magnet bombs, but it also allowed them to point them towards large concentrations of metal when needed. When Bastion had used Iron Tail, the iron in his body concentrated itself to his tail, allowing the Probopass to lock-on and make a perfect shot. One of his Wartortle's best moves was his very downfall. "It's time for the finale," Hornsby announced, clapping his hands together. "What pokemon will you use against me now?"

Cody didn't respond verbally, but just looked at his last poke ball. Antonia's ball. Suddenly, he felt that it might be better to forfeit. Even if Antonia was ready, it still didn't take away from the fact that her body was lined with steel, making a Zap Cannon from Probopass guaranteed to hit. He would need a miracle for his youngest pokemon to pull of his biggest victory to date. But miracles would only take them so far. Perhaps it would be better to try again in a week, now that he knew about Hornsby's final pokemon firsthand. But as he began to raise his hand to call it quits, he felt the great ball shake in his palms.

_You really want to fight, huh? _He smiled at his baby, the steel-bird pokemon that he tortured himself to raise over a period of almost half a year. _Well… this is a bad idea, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. _With elegance, he raised his final ball and threw it onto the field. "It's your time, Antonia!" When the light of the pokeball faded, there was a mixed reaction of awe and muttering. The muttering came from the doubters who saw the hopelessness of a steel pokemon fighting a Probopass. The awed voices were in result to the appearance of the beautiful young Skarmory that had graced the field.

"Skreeeeeee!" she screeched wildly, spreading her silver wings, red steel feathers extending underneath. She stared up at her opponent, obviously unimpressed. Of course, that was her attitude towards every opponent: that she was the best in the world and that they didn't even deserve to be in the same arena as her. Of course, she didn't deserve that title, but perhaps she'd start making her way to that title with this battle, so long as she could avoid the dreaded Zap Cannon.

"Huh, a Skarmory," Hornsby noted, slightly impressed, as was evident in the small smile on his face. "I was unaware you had such a challenging pokemon on your team. I'm curious as to why you didn't use this one last time. No matter. Nixon! Waste no time! Zap Cannon!"

"Fly! Just keep flying!" Cody ordered quickly in a panic. He didn't have to ask her twice, as she took a running start before flying up in the air, making a wide circle around the Probopass. However, while the steel bird was fast, the ugly stone pokemon's face followed with ease as he continued to charge his Zap Cannon. The magnets were doing their job a bit too well. In a few seconds, he would release the electricity, which would surely bring Antonia down in one hit. Her only chance would be if she somehow damaged him to the point that he couldn't attack. But they'd only get one shot. "Steel Wing!"

Cody had been training his baby to respond to the command, though she would only answer it with ironclad slashes. Being hit by steel covered wings was painful, but if Antonia could properly concentrate the iron from her iron deposits in her body to her wings, she could increase the power of her Steel Wing attack by tenfold. Unfortunately, she either wasn't able to or she didn't hear as she flew straight at the Probopass and struck him upside the nose before flying over his head. But something unexpected also happened in that moment. The Probopass was using his magnets to lock on to the Skarmory, but as she flew over him, his nose followed… but once his nose was facing the ceiling, he came crashing down to the muddy earth. For some reason, the magnetism could only keep Nixon afloat when he was in an upright position. But being turned on his side midair caused him to fall, and once he hit the ground, the Zap Cannon was released, shooting into the ceiling and causing a few chunks of it to fall down on top of him.

"Get back up and-"

"Antonia, get in there and tear him apart!" The young Skarmory was all over her foe before he could even get up, and began to take repeated strikes, slashing her steely wings one after another into Nixon's big red nose. She got about twelve shots in before being launched off the stone pokemon as it reoriented itself and rose into the air once more.

"Nixon, be ready to deactivate your magnetism if she tries that again. Zap Cannon!"

"Antonia, just get above him before he-"

"Skreeee!" the steel bird interrupted as she flew up to the center of the arena and began to fly in a circle so fast, it was almost as if she was spinning in circles. But seconds after she began, she released an uncountable number of sharp, metal shards, shooting via her spinning momentum to the ground and embedding themselves in the mud.

"Was… was that a Spikes attack?" Cody wondered out loud. Many steel pokemon built up extra steel bits that collected on their bodies like dead skin cells, and many of them could utilize these scraps in battle. He had not taught Antonia how to respond to the command "Spikes," since he didn't figure she was able to use the technique, but here it was. But why would she use it on her own? Nixon was floating far above the spikes. Even if he wasn't, his stone body would only be scratched by the shards at best. "Antonia, Steel Wing and fly above his head!" Once more, his pokemon flew straight at her foe and struck him on the nose, but rather than fly above him, she flew circles around him, taking strikes at his sides. But for some reason, Nixon wasn't keeping up in his targeting, and when he released the electric blast, he missed his target completely. _It's the spikes… there's made of metal too. All the metal on the field is throwing off his aim… did Antonia think of that her own? That's pretty damn brilliant if she did._

"Nixon, you're gonna have to take a more manual approach! Power Gem!" Hornsby's pokemon was quick to adapt. It began to hum as six glowing stones rose from the mud around his body before homing in on Antonia. The Skarmory was caught off guard, and even though she could have out flown the stones, she didn't have the right reaction time to do so. Each of the stones slammed into her wings, and she crashed into the muddy ground.

For Cody, this was a painful reminder of his pokemon's inexperience as she struggled to get to her feet. She was still a young pokemon after all, and this battle with this level of opponent was far beyond anything she was used to competing with. While Antonia was not willing to give up, her trainer was worried that her body would give out long before her spirit.

"Time to keep her earthbound. Earth Power!" Before the Skarmory could get back into the air, the mud shot up around her, enclosing her in a soggy, earthy sphere. From within, Cody could hear her scream as the mud filled up the spaces between her armor plating. Would she even be able to fly with all that extra filling?

"Antonia, if you can hear me, get out of there!" Cody bellowed, terrified for his baby's wellbeing. His eyes shifted back to the Probopass, who was charging another Zap Cannon. This one would surely hit a standstill target. Like on that first gym battle he had against Eagle, he felt hopelessness set in as he watched what looked like another failure. But the feeling did not last as long as it had the first time he felt it, as the crazy side of him that believed in miracles shot back through his consciousness. _No… We've come so far. Even when I see an impossible situation, my pokemon keep going. And there is no way Antonia would ever give in. She has more heart in her than most people or pokemon I've ever met._

As if his thoughts were heard by his pokemon, the second he had finished his inner belief monologue, the silver bird pokemon shot from the ball of mud like a bat out of hell, flying barely inches above the Zap Cannon that was shot at her. But instead of striking her foe with her steel-clad wings, she flung a clump of mud into her foes eyes before flying back to the ground and shaking like a wet dog to get the mud out of her crevices. She had made time for this, as her Sand Attack (or in this case, Mud-Slap) had blinded her opponent long enough.

"Ground her again! Power Gem!" Hornsby commanded, worry now showing in his eyes. He had not expected the steel type to last this long against his Probopass. More glowing stones careened towards Antonia, but she was only hit by one before she got in two slashes. "Don't let up! Iron Defense!" In a quick shine of flashing silver, the Probopass hardened his body, and suddenly, Antonia's strikes were barely doing more than leaving tiny dents in his rocky body. For the first time in the battle, the armored bird looked horrified as she continued to slash at his body, fruitlessly. "Now, Power Gem!"

"Antonia, that's not working! Get away from him and use Screech!" She listened to her trainer and flew away from the tank of an enemy into the air, dodging the rocks he chased her with. Once looking down at the statue pokemon, she let out an eardrum popping screech, making Nixon cringe and shake. For the next few moments, he would be vulnerable to conventional attacks.

"Now! Slash him!" Cody roared out, caught up in the suspense of the passing seconds. "Magnet Bomb!" Hornsby shouted out in return.

"Skreeeeee!" The armored bird pokemon flew at a steep angle towards her aggressor's face. The Magnet Bomb hit her directly in the chest, but she kept flying, though a story of pain was written all over her face. In the seconds before her strike, her wings glowed silver, and with one more screech, she struck her foe's face, executing her first steel wing ever. Letting out a violent roar, Nixon fell to the earth and landed on his side. Somehow, Antonia had slain her first giant.

"Probopass is unable to battle! Skarmory is the winner! Therefore, victory goes to challenger Cody Storm!"

Cody could barely hear the applause as he fell to his knees and raised his fists in triumph while ecstasy rushed through his veins. Somehow, he bested the odds again, escaping defeat by the skin of his teeth. But knowing that he wasn't the only one that deserved the glorious moment, he climbed down from the platform and ran to Skarmory, dodging the spikes she had laid down. He didn't even care that he was getting his clothes muddy as he hugged his champion, who stood gingerly after taking all of those Power Gems. Gibing off a soft caw, Antonia pressed her forehead against her trainer's, and made a soft rumbling sound in her throat, as if she was purring. Perhaps she realized the magnitude of her victory as well. "Well Mr. Storm, that was impressive," Hornsby commented, having returned his pokemon and entering the battlefield. "I have yet to see a trainer make that much improvement within one week. You truly are talented."

"Thank you sir, it was an honor," Cody answered humbly, and the two shook hands. He felt something hard between their palms, and when their hands separated, Cody looked down at the Terra Badge that Hornsby had given him. It was circular, depicting a cutout of the planet earth, but the land was brown and the water was black. Clenching it in his hand, he continued to speak. "Someday, when I'm champ, I expect you to bring your best team to face me."

"Not if I get there first, junior," the gym leader laughed. "But regardless, you have a future in this business. Never lose sight of that."

"Thank you…" Cody repeated, and after he received his celebratory TM, he looked up at the stands. Beyond Heather, beyond Jared, beyond everybody else… there was Madame Stella. Unlike the rest of the crowd, she had not cheered, or clapped, or even made any sort of reaction to the battle. But underneath all of her wrinkles, Cody swore he saw a small smile on her face. Like in the same way Cody had gained faith in Antonia's abilities, maybe the old gypsy was gaining a little bit of faith in him too.


	30. Chapter 30: The Shaking Ground

**So I managed to pump this one out rather quickly, though I didn't get to writing it for some time, namely due to classes, work, and Team Fortress 2. I'm currently trying to get onto a competitive team, so wish me luck. The point isn't going to capture itself!  
**_Maybe you should finally evolve Mars into a dugtrio._

**Okay, I've gotten this comment several times already, and I really don't want to be pushed into another evolution. I still feel like Bastion's was forced, and I don't want to- **

_I am wondering when Mars is going to evolve._

**… Huh, I didn't know people were so into Mars. Well… you'll just have to wait and see?  
**_I sometimes wonder if Cody's Pokemon are smarter than he is. They always seem to have a eureka moment when he's out of ideas.  
_**This is actually a concern of mine. The thing is, in this pokeverse, most pokemon are smart animals that love battling. They're smart, but they don't have anywhere near the same intelligence as humans, though their "battle intelligence" can increase over time. This does not apply to all pokemon though. Many psychic pokemon (such as Isaac), ghost pokemon, certain dragon pokemon, and many legendary pokemon have human level intelligence, give or take. These pokemon are better at creating complex strategy, even without a trainer's help. As for Antonia, she's smart, but she's still a bird. But that moment is never stated for sure whether or not she used Spikes out of knowledge of the Probopass's magnetism or if she was just using the attack out of some sort of generalized defensive instinct.**

Special thanks to editor Magikarp Master for editing.

* * *

**Chapter 30: The Shaking Ground **

"Drill Peck!" Cody shouted out to Antonia as she circled around her foe again.

It was late-March, and the three teens had finally escaped from Loamford City to the mountain range north of the old mining town. Despite it only having been several weeks since his last gym battle, much had changed for the young group of trainers. The weather was warming up, Jared had really grown to like his Gastly, Heather received an Eevee as a birthday gift from her parents (now that they had warmed up to her being on the road as a trainer). As for Cody… well, for him, aside from his new sense of humility, nothing much had changed, but as for his beautiful Skarmory, things were very, very different. The armor coated bird had become his newest rising star, being able to fight off much older and wiser pokemon with her cunning intelligence and sheer strength.

"Sand Tomb!" the opposing trainer commanded, and his tenacious Sandslash whipped up a miniature tornado of dirt, rocks, and dust that lay scattered on the clearing on the mountain path. The whipping wind caught Antonia, but judging by the expression on her face, she looked more pissed off than hurt. Once she managed to pull out of the winds, she flew around in a wide circle and blew the tornado away with a Whirlwind of her own.

"Slash!" Cody shouted, impressed with his pokemon's ingenuity. But the smile fell from his face when Antonia's wing was caught within the Sandslash's Crush Claw. The two were caught in a stalemate until the desert rodent hit her with his other claw. The Skarmory let out a shriek, but instead of fleeing, she ran her iron-clad body into the Sandslash's face, took flight once more, thrashing through his defenses with her wings, claws and beak. Antonia's battle style was really different into comparison to the rest of Cody's team. All of his other pokemon, even Bastion and Colossal, both of whom were good at tanking damage, had a very vasive battle style in which they would do their best to dodge attacks. Antonia, on the other hand, was often willing to fly straight into the firing zone, driving her body as if it wasn't her own, so long as she could land a successful attack. Luckily, she had body armor that reduced damage, but she still loved to play a risky game.

"Now! Finish it!" Cody ordered, knowing already that the battle was his. Antonia left her target prone and slammed a Steel Wing into his chest. The Sandslash had put up a good bout, but in the end, he was done for.

"Skreee!" she screeched in victory, holding her head high, even when her trainer came up to her to stroke her neck and give her a handful of kibble, which she greedily pecked out of his hand, careful not to break his skin.

"You are amazing," Cody whispered to her, giving his baby a quick kiss on the neck before going over to the other trainer to shake hands and exchange winnings. Soon, it was just Cody, Heather, Jared, and their out of ball pokemon left on the mountain clearing.  
"Well Storm, I got to admit, I was wrong to doubt you two," Jared commented as he walked over to Cody and his steel pokemon. "Your bird, she might be crazy, but she's tough. I guess there's hope for you after all." The last part of Jared's monologue was draped in sarcasm, but he had a genuine grin on his face. Nevertheless, Cody was kind of annoyed.

_Some things never change._ "Didn't we already prove you wrong when we beat Hornsby?" he questioned. "Taking on a Probopass that could have KO'd her with one Zap Cannon… That's pretty hopeful, I would say," he said, understating his beliefs.

"Flukes happen every day, Cody," Jared chimed in, now obviously poking the Ursaring. "If you went back and fought Hornsby again, smart money says you'd lose. No offense."

"No offense?" Cody asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Tell that to Antonia. If she could tell that you were talking down to her right now, she'd tear you in half. Better show some respect."

"Please, you may not like the truth, but there's no way you'd allow her to-"

"Gentlemen, must we always argue?" Heather finally interrupted, stepping between the two while her new Eevee bounced about, chewing on the edge of her trainer's shoe. "Can't we agree on anything?"

"You haven't been here long, have you?" Cody teased, smiling while giving her a look. "As long as we're in the same vicinity, we're bound to fight. It's the only way for Jared to deal with all of his pent up sexual tension."

"Wait, what?" Jared asked, suddenly paying attention again.

"What?" Cody repeated, pretending he said nothing.

"Okay, okay, enough, you two," Heather broke up the two, giggling some. "Obviously, you both have issues to work out, but what else is new." She picked up the bubbly Eevee before linking arms with her boyfriend. "But can we deal with all of that later? It's getting dark, and I really want a shower tonight. My hair is getting… well… Can we please try to make it to the next town?"

"Sure, let's get walking," Cody shrugged. The group took about five steps toward the path before Cody stopped dead in his tracks.

"Problem?" Heather asked, noticing her friend's tired face.  
"Yes," he answered blankly. "I'm so tired of walking. Walking sucks. I've already worn through a pair of shoes out here. Two, if you include the pair that Antonia ripped up back when we used to fight. It's just getting so tiring."

"You're kidding, right?" Jared cut in, turning to face Cody with a look of disdain. "You knew that you'd be walking when you first came out here, and now you want to quit over it?"

"I didn't say I wanted to quit," Cody shot back, annoyed that Jared would suggest such a thing. "I'm just saying, can't we at least ride bikes or something? That would be so much easier than-"

"You're a moron," Jared interrupted again, shaking his head in disgust. "You want to ride bikes in these jagged mountain passes and have to carry them wherever we can't ride? We're already carrying half our weight with supplies, sleeping bags, mini-tents… Next thing I know, you're going to ask me if we can drive from town to town."

"That would be nice…" Cody mumbled, though he knew that cars would also be inefficient for training. On top of cost (of both gasoline and the car itself), overall, trainers that chose to drive over walk were statistically weaker, having missed out on battles with wild pokemon and trainers.

"Still, if you don't want to walk, why don't you just ride your Zebstrika?" Jared asked, his tone riddled in sarcasm. "Oh wait, I forgot, you're too afraid to-"

"I am not afraid to ride Elesa," Cody shot back, pissed off that he had to remind him again why he wouldn't do it. "I'm just afraid she's going to electrocute me on accident if I do like she did the last time. I'll figure something out, but…" Cody began again, glancing over at his Skarmory, "what if we flew from place to place?"

"I've tried that before. Easier said than done," Jared told him, shaking his head again. "My Fearow's strong, but she gets tired having to carry me and all my stuff." He looked over at Cody's face and followed his gaze to Antonia. "And something is seriously wrong with you if you'd consider riding her over your Zebstrika. Then again, maybe you're just as crazy as she is."

"Oh come on, flying sounds like it would be so amazing," Cody replied, taking off his backpack and setting it on the ground before stroking Antonia's neck and back. "Besides, Antonia and I, we've bonded beyond the typical trainer-pokemon relationship. Hell, we're practically siblings now. She'd never put me in danger if we flew togeth-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing!" Heather asked briskly as she clamped her hand on Cody's shoulder, her eyes burning with fear. "You're not planning on riding her right now, are you? Up here in the mountains? What if she's not strong enough? What if-"

"I'm not _that_ crazy," Cody laughed, pulling her hand away from his shoulder. "I just want to sit on her back, let her get used to my weight and everything. Might as well start now." After giving Antonia a firm pat on her back, he hopped up onto her, nestling his legs underneath her wings while clutching onto her neck. At first, he expected his Skarmory to overreact and start trying to buck him off, given how temperamental she could get. He was surprised with how she did respond though. She just turned her head left to look at him with her left eye. He could see in her eye that she was annoyed with him being there, but letting out a small caw, as if to say "Whatever. If you must…" she turned her head forward again. Altogether, everything seemed to have gone better than expected. Sitting on an iron bird was slightly uncomfortable, but the young trainer figured he'd work out the details later.

"See? Nothing to worry about!" Cody exclaimed in an overly cheery tone, giving Jared a smug look. "Just give me a few weeks, and we'll be soaring the skies like-"

"Skreeeeeee!" the silver bird screeched, holding her head up vertically before breaking into a sprint while spreading her wings, trainer still in tow.

"No! Stop! Dammit Antonia, stop!" Cody ordered in a panic as he leaned forward and hugged her upper torso. But his pokemon would not listen as she finally reached the edge of the cliff and dove towards the enormous forest below.

In those few, seemingly endless seconds, the young trainer felt all of his senses go completely numb. He couldn't hear his own voice, nor the blowing wind, nor the screams of his traveling companions. But as his Skarmory began her dive, the world flew by his vision in a rushing, incomprehensible blur. In true and unadulterated fear, he hugged his pokemon even tighter, praying that she could support his weight. But his fears were thankfully unfounded, as right before she could burst through the tops of the pines below them, Antonia's dive curved into "U" and she curved towards the heavens. Cody continued to tighten his grip even further, so much so, that he could have sworn he was damaging his Skarmory's armor, but in the pull of gravity, his natural reaction was to cling. Feeling her trainer's constriction, Antonia made a much shorter dive before leveling her flight, flapping her wings a few times to maintain her momentum and altitude. It was then in those few moments of stasis that Cody finally relinquished some of his grip, raised his head, and looked on at the forest below, the mountains beyond, and the sky above. It was like looking at the landscape for the first time again, now that he was a part of the sky, soaring over the land, cutting through the cold wind, and dominating the sky.

"THIS IS SO FUCKING COOL!" Cody screamed out, terror, adrenaline, and joy rushing through every nerve of his body while the wind whipped at his hair. He was about to throw his hands up in the air to add even more excitement to this rollercoaster ride, but before he could let go, Antonia barrel rolled to the right, and Cody let out another shout of horror. By now, Antonia was beginning to realize the amount of discomfort her trainer was experiencing. Giving a dissatisfied caw, the young Skarmory reluctantly flew back to her starting point, slowing down some as she soared towards the cliff. Finally, she landed gently with her slowed momentum, but her trainer was not so lucky. As he let go of his pokemon, he lacked the power to hold himself up, and fell on his side into the dirt. His vision was still so blurry, and when he rolled onto his back, he could barely make out the faces of Heather and Jared. Both of them sounded scared out of their minds, but they seemed to be the only ones who cared, as Antonia had walked off to peck at a nearby Drilbur hole and Eevee was too busy chasing her tail.  
"Cody! Cody, what the hell? Are you alright?" Heather blurted out inches away from his ear.

"I'm alive!" Cody shouted weakly, lifting his left fist into the air. "That was the greatest thing I've ever- Ow, ow, ow!" His hand lowered to his crotch.

"You… you're such an id-"

"Idiot?" Cody smiled through his pained cringe. "I heard some of your screams, Jared. Admit it, you were afraid I'd die. You do care, don't-"

"One of these days…" the older teen mumbled, and he stood up to walk away from the scene, leaving Heather the only one still with the boy who was still collapsed in the dirt.

"You… you really don't look so good," Heather said, noticing Cody's expression, twisted in agony and joy.

"You ever sit on an uneven, metal pokemon's back as she flies up and down against the forces of gravity?" he groaned, still holding onto his pants. "Crap, I'm gonna need to start wearing that cup again."

"Thanks for sharing that tidbit," Heather half-laughed. "Here, let me help you back up." She grabbed his other hand and pulled her friend to his feet. "You need help walking?"

"I'll live," Cody assured her, stumbling with his first few steps. "I'm aching all over, and I may never be able to have children, but after that… I don't plan on missing any living."

* * *

Another nameless town. She stopped trying to remember all the names of all the little towns they passed through. Because that was just what they did with all the little towns that didn't have gyms or stadiums. Just passing through. In one day, out the next, unless their pokemon needed some extended rest and relaxation. This little town was just like the rest. The population barely reached one hundred, and the pokemon center was so primitive that the computers ran on dial-up connections. _This place is so dinky… not even a town hall or anything. How do these places even exist?_

"Lost in thought again?" Jared question, nudging her shoulder some.  
Heather remembered that the two of them were talking about battling again, and of course, she lost track of what they were talking about. It wasn't that she didn't care about the subject, but given how much pokemon training had taken over her life, sometimes she just needed to escape from it, if even just for a moment. She looked down at Sasha, her new Eevee, and rubbed her tummy with her index finger. Sometimes, she just liked to see her pokemon as pets, and just forget that they had a huge journey for just a bit.

"Yeah… you could say that," she responded blankly, still rubbing her squirming Eevee's chest. "I'm just tired… not tired enough to go to bed, but still…" She looked across the way at the other sofa wear Cody was sitting, scanning some maps that he picked up at the ranger station a mile away from town. "What do you think he's doing? He already planned out the path for the next two weeks."

"Maybe he's working on the third?" Jared guessed, shrugging. "Who knows? And frankly, who cares? He's a few cards short of a deck, if you didn't real-"

"That was uncalled for," Heather interrupted, snapping back into reality to defend her friend. Even though it was obvious that the two boys didn't like each other, sometimes their bashing of each other was undeserved and unprovoked. "What has he done lately to deserve that? Sure, he's… eccentric at times, but he's a good guy. He cares about his training, his pokemon, us-"

"Us? More like you," Jared corrected with disdain, suddenly growing serious too. "And I'll be honest, Heather, it makes me just a _little_ uncomfortable. Yes, I know you two are friends, but I know that you two must have had a thing for each other at some point. I'm not stupid. I see it in the way he looks at you sometimes. And whenever you touch him. It's clearly more than just-"

"What are you implying?" Heather hushed him in a harsh whisper. "First of all, he does care about you. He gave you that Gastly, which you seem to absolutely love, now that-"

"That was a peace offering," Jared corrected again.  
"Whatever. But Jared, there is nothing between us. Why would I be with you if there was?"

"I don't know, Heather. You tell me," he told her coldly, his eyes not breaking for a millisecond from hers.

Heather sighed, finally breaking eye contact, looking down at her lap where Sasha had fallen asleep. "There's nothing to tell. Why do our conversations always go back to him anyway? Can we please talk about something else? Hell, I'll even talk about sports with you at this point, because he's not causing any prob-"

"Not causing any problems?" Jared whispered in return, astounded at her words. "We were attacked by some lunatic in the woods because of him. Both you and him were being stalked for months because of him. We almost got killed by ghosts in some haunted house because of him. We-"

"Jared-"

"Plus…" Jared paused and looked up to make sure that Cody was still busy with his maps. "Have you seen him when he sleeps? How he'll start thrashing, and then he jolts awake, and then he just runs off to God knows where? I mean, at first, he was just annoying, but now he's becoming creepy. I mean, I'm no psychologist, but that just doesn't seem healthy at all."

"Jared," Heather began again, this time not getting cut off, "did you ever consider that maybe there's more to him than what you see? Maybe he has reasons for how he acts?"

"I've considered it…" Jared answered solemnly. "And that's what scares me. There is something wrong with him, Heather… and if he ever puts us in danger again, I'm not just going to stop traveling with him. I'll be calling somebody. The police, a hospital, an asylum… I don't know, but I'm just so uncomfortable being around him. If it weren't for you, I'd be done by now, but-"

"I get it," Heather interrupted him, "but he's not dangerous. We both know he's a good guy. But if you don't believe me, just please, you have to trust me on this."

"Yeah, about that…" Jared mumbled as he stood up, "I don't even know how far that will take me. I'm going to bed." Without even a kiss goodnight, he disappeared into the pokemon center's dormitory.  
Alone again, she wasn't sure what to think. Jared, while he could occasionally get a bit too angry and irrational at times, still did have understandable reasons for disliking Cody. That being said, he didn't know the whole truth. Then again, she didn't know the whole truth either. Hell, Cody was such a mess sometimes that he probably didn't know the truth either.

_ No secrets… like hell there are no secrets. Ugh, when did guys become complicated? I thought I used to know how to deal with stuff like this… I haven't asked Cody about the dream stuff lately, we've been so busy… Might as well take the chance._ Scooping Sasha into her arms, she stood up and slowly approached Cody, who seemed to be lost in thought as he kept looking between maps, occasionally writing on some of them with a pencil.

"Hey, feeling better after today?" referring to the unscheduled flight he took while she sat down on the opposite couch.  
Cody looked up from the maps, and smiled softly. "Ice does wonders," he answered simply. "What are you still doing up? Jared's gonna wake us up early in the AM tomorrow, as usual."

"Not sleepy yet," Heather replied, leaning forward to look at all the maps. "What are all these for anyway? Actually, a better question, what are these?"

"Swarm maps," Cody answered briefly. "Certain pokemon are a little less endemic to specific locations than others. Diglett colonies are a prime example of this, as they're constantly moving in search of more roots. These maps predict where the Diglett population will move next, but since they're not guaranteed, I'm not going to plan the route we travel around them. Rather, I'm picking out spots that are already near the route we're taking."

"That's… cool?" Heather commented, somewhat confused as to why Cody wanted to find Diglett colonies. "But you already have a Diglett. Why are you looking for more Diglett?"

"Hey, Mars has gotta evolve sometime, right?" he chuckled, looking back down at the maps that he had been pouring into. "It won't be easy though. Diglett are colony-based species of pokemon, but he's so damn stubborn, so finding two others who will put up with him... It'll be like-"

"Wait, why do you need two more Diglett?" Heather asked, cocking her head. But her best friend gave her a curious look.

"Heather, it's not like he's just going to grow two more heads. He's not a Doduo," finally relaxed and fell back into the couch. "This stuff is making my head hurt though. Five minute break."

"Well, whatever, as long as you are getting a break," Heather added, smiling some that her friend was now taking a moment to chill. "You work too much. Even when you aren't training, you're doing something."

"What can I say, anything to separate me from the amateurs," Cody chuckled.

"But don't you ever do anything else anymore?" Heather questioned, cocking her head some. "I haven't seen you watch TV or go to a movie in so long. Don't you ever need a break from this?"

"I take mine here and there," he responded. "I wish I had more time to watch TV though." He looked over and tapped the sleeping Eevee on the stomach, awaking her, and sending her into another squirm session. "What are you evolving her into?"

"I don't know yet," Heather said, but then brought back the original subject. "You really need to take a break before-"

"Before I go crazy and endanger your and Jared's lives again?" he cut in with a sudden, sour tone.

Heather froze up at this line, unsure of what to say next, but she started talking regardless. "Cody, nobody said you-"

"Heather, Jared just said all those things a few minutes ago. While I'm happy you tried to defend me, it doesn't exactly mellow out my mood."

Her cheeks went several shades of red. "How did you-"

"You two were literally sitting ten feet away from me, this pokemon center is as quiet as a crypt, and the acoustics are rather favorable for me. Here's an idea: if you two are going to talk about me, but you don't want me to hear, go to a different room. Seriously..."

She didn't think it was possible, but her cheeks went even redder. "Cody, I'm sorr-"

"Don't be. It's not your fault. It's mine," he said, softening his tone some. "It's my fault for not saying anything to him about the dreams, but now I know not to. If I do, he'll be calling the men in white. Looks like this is officially our secret now."

"Cody, you don't know that," Heather begged, now standing up and sitting down on his sofa to be closer to him. "He won't-"

"You have more faith than I do," he replied weakly, smiling. "I like that about you, and that's a reason why I trust you with a lot, but I don't trust Jared at all in that department. I'm sorry. I know he's your boyfriend, and I know that I completely fucked up the friendship that him and I had going for a little bit, but I'm not telling him. And if you tell him, I'm leaving. I'm not going to let him become a bigger risk to my goals. Understand?"

She didn't know what to say. All she could do was look into Cody's eyes, trying to see past the cold façade he had thrown up. It was so scary to see him when he was serious like this instead of being the lighthearted jokester she was so accustomed to.

"Cody… have you dreamt of _him_ recently?" she asked, softly so she wouldn't set him off.  
He didn't answer at first, but when he finally did, his voice was shaking. "A few times… never for that long though… I've been keeping a dream journal like Stahl told me too, but I don't know… But I will say this: he is real. I know it in my heart, and nothing you or any shrink says is going to change that."  
Another moment in which she was unsure how to respond. By now, her Eevee was wide awake again, bouncing around on the floor, unaware of the tension. But when she finally found the words to say, she couldn't begin to say them as she looked at her friend. When she first met him, he was just another carefree guy going out into the world to have some fun. Over time, he built on his fun to create goals, dreams, and a possible destiny. But all the while, there was so much tearing him down, between his feuding parents, these dreams, the mysterious stranger that had been stalking them, Jared's beliefs that he was a train wreck waiting to happen… sooner or later, would his foundations crumble? Instead of saying anything, she just hugged him, tighter than anyone she had hugged before. So tight in fact, she thought she might be hurting him, but he just hugged her back, almost as tight.

"You don't need to keep anything from me," she whispered into his ear while leaning her head against his.

"For now, I do," he whispered in return. "You know too much already, but I can't…" There was a small pause. "Let's just run away, you and I. Just the two of us, like it was for those first weeks we were together. There won't have to be secrets anymore. I promise."  
Her first thought were ones of shock, but as she pulled back and looked at Cody, face to face, she could see that tiny pinch of eagerness in him. The piece of him that was praying for her to agree, though he knew she wouldn't. But the crazy thing was that part of her wanted to take him up on that offer. To be crazy and romantic again like when she first met him… But this time, sanity had its hand at the reigns.

"You know I… we can't do that," she told him, trying not to let the sorrow poke through the sad smile she showed him.  
"I figured you'd say that," he whispered in return. Just then, the main lights of the lobby went dim, the room only being lit by the lights behind the counter now. He began to stack his maps in a pile and took them in his hand. "I need some air. Maybe a coffee if this dinky little town has a place for it. If you're asleep when I get back, have a good night."

"You too," she replied, though Cody was already at the door when she said it. _Great… this isn't awkward at all. _Of course, though she would never say it, she knew that Jared was right about one thing. Even though the Cody Storm she knew before was changing; becoming more serious, determined, and grim, there was still something there between them. Of course, she wasn't just about to leave Jared. He was a good and stable guy who she really cared about too. _If only there was a place to run away from all of this… though honestly, I know I wouldn't, even if I could. _Because she knew that Cody needed her. Even if at the end of the day, he was keeping all sorts of secrets, he needed somebody that he could say something to, even if he chose not to.

* * *

"Why the hell did I go and say that?" Cody asked himself as he leaned against the front of the pokemon center. "I knew she would say no, but… she's going to think I'm an idiot now." Feeling ten types of embarrassment at once, he looked up from the ground and scanned the surrounding buildings for something. No coffee shops, but there was a trucker diner cattycorner to where he stood. The lights were still on, and there were obviously a few drifters inside getting food. _Good enough. Maybe they make pancakes. _But before he could set out, he felt a familiar presence… or he could smell it. That smell of pipe smoke was in the air. He never really picked up on it before, but now that he smelled it before seeing who it accompanied, it was so distinct.

"Hello Stella," he greeted calmly, not even bothering to look to see that he was right. He knew he was.

"He is coming tonight," she rasped, walking to his front side to face him.

"Straight to the point. I prefer that to you berating me," Cody commented, casually accepting that this wrinkled, decrepit, scary stalker had found him yet again. It had become so common place now that he was barely stirred. "Too bad. I'm really not tired. I was going to go get breakfast for dinner, but now-"

"As long as you are ready," she interrupted. "I can see it in your eyes. Behind your jokes and your smiles, I can see your pain. Your confusion. Your fear. You're right not to trust your companions, for they do not understand, but you must be ready to face him alone, for I will not be able to help you."  
_Not like you have so far, save you giving me all these vague warnings._ "I've lasted this long. I still can sleep soundly most nights. At least when I wake up, the pain is gone… mostly. I mean, if he keeps up what he does already, I could live with that. It's more annoying than anything…" That was only partly true though. He was still scared of Darkrai. He knew that this… this _thing_ was obviously dangerous, even if it couldn't directly control him. Considering how messed up Stella was, the Dark One must have abilities that he could hardly imagine.

"But nevertheless, you do fear him. And that fear will only continue to grow as he becomes more relentless. When he reveals the extent of his intentions, your fear will double. So much so, that you will begin to consider what he offers to you. And that fear will never dissipate. To this day, I still fear what he can do. Just remember, Cody Storm…" She paused, lifting her withered hand and placing it on his shoulder, causing him to shiver from just the touch. "Just remember not to lose yourself. Good luck to you in your next meeting with him." Slowly, she retracted her hand and began to walk away into the darkness.

"But wait, can't you just tell me now?" Cody called out after her, but she wouldn't answer him. Maybe she was too afraid to say anything more. Maybe Darkrai was torturing her dreams too. _How long has this been happening to her? How much has she endured from him?_ It was so weird to be feeling pity for this old woman, the woman that he despised and wished would leave him alone.

"It's time to face him," he whispered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he re-entered the pokemon center, walked to the dormitory, and lay on his bed, not even bothering to strip out of his day clothes. In the back of his mind and the bottom of his heart, something was telling him that this was a night that the Dark One would make even more memorable than the previous times he had been visited. As his eyes began to close, the last thoughts he had were that he would not let himself be intimidated by this otherworldly being. But thinking back to the old woman that Darkrai had mentally scarred, he knew that that was much easier said than done.


	31. Chapter 31: Ballad of the Wraith

**I'm back! Even with my work and internship, I'm gonna try to pump out some more chapters. This one is a bit weird. Mostly dialogue and magic logic, so if you can understand it, awesome. PM me with questions if you have any.**

**Review response:**

_I have to say Antonia is probably the most awesome Skarmory ever I just love her personality she's not like a Pokemon who can just fade into the background like some of Cody's other Pokemon do._

**She's going to be one of his main players. Also, who has faded into the background? I figured Cortez (because he's a noob) and Mars (because he's lower tier at the moment) but anybody else?**

_And so the new status quo has formed itself. I really liked Jared's point of view. He makes an excellent devil's advocate._

**It's hard for me to write him. He's meant to be a jerk at times, but he's also got a point at the end of the day. Gotta create a good balance for him.**

**Oh yes, thanks MagikarpMaster for the editing. You win fifty interwebz.**

** And now…**

* * *

**Chapter 31: Ballad of the Wraith**

_Entering the realm of Darkrai was not nearly as surprising when Cody saw it coming. Like always, he stood naked in that dark, foreign dimension without any apparent floor, wall or ceiling. The mist provided the only color he saw in the darkness, but no sign of the Dark One… yet. The two of them hadn't had a talk in a while. Rather than extended conversations, Darkrai would pop into his dreams for just a minute just to scare him and get in a bit of torture before Cody woke up in sweats. But tonight was going to be different. The young teenager could feel it in his bones._

_"You don't look so nervous tonight," the great, yet empty voice commented. "I assume that that old witch told you I was coming?"  
_

_"Don't you already know the answer to that?" Cody challenged boldly. The eyes that had materialized in front of him narrowed in disgust.  
_

_"While I am used to Stella's body and mind to the point that I could see from her perspective at any time I wish, she is not a threat to me, so I have avoided her as of late. As for you… seeing from your eyes is so much easier now. So much less foggy. It won't be long until I'm can completely view your emotions, your desires, your fears… the human mind is quite chaotic at times. I love to observe from the perspective of my marked ones when I can. It's so intriguing." _

_"Are you unable to feel those things?" Cody asked, confused about this being's perception of reality.  
_

_"I feel them differently from humans," it answered blankly. "I am not human. Nor do I wish to be. Human emotion, while fascinating, is one of the things that makes your kind weak. But enough about that. Tonight is a night where I shall answer more of your questions. As a future vessel, I must educate you."  
_

_"Educate me?" Cody questioned. "Well… I figured you'd be telling me something on your own. Like your plans for me, or-"_

_ "My exact plans for you are undefined as of yet," Darkrai answered, his eyes still creased. "The future has many outcomes, and when the path is narrow, I will tell you what you shall do for me."  
_

_"And if I refuse?"_

_ "You won't refuse."  
_

_"How do you know that I'll-" Just then, multiple clawed hands on multiple extending arms formed from the oblivion and pushed Cody down onto the floor. The pressure of the pushing hurt, but he didn't utter a single grunt of pain. He refused to reward this being the pleasure._

_"You won't refuse," it repeated, harsher this time, "for if you do, you will suffer beyond comprehension. You see that hag, Stella? How much she has deteriorated physically… that is only the tip of the iceberg. Her mind, while it may seem sharp, is in tatters. Really, she is only human in a genetic sense, for I've turned her into a monster."  
_

_Cody's eyes widened. "How… how did you do that?"  
_

_"This, more or less, but too much more of an extreme and not just in her dreams," Darkrai began to explain. Though Cody couldn't see the monster's face, something told him that he was smiling. "Over time, I managed to breach her waking conscious, whether it was day or night, twisting her very way of thought and surging pain through every nerve until-"  
_

_"But she didn't follow your orders in the end, did she?" Cody interrupted. It was a foolish action, for he was backhanded almost immediately.  
_

_"If you interrupt me again, you little bastard, I'll nail your dick to the floor. Understand?" There was a brief silence as the specter let Cody take in that image before he began again. "In the end, her will was stronger than I had predicted. It really is hard to find that right combination of traits in a human. So many variables… but you… you're an even better candidate than she was. And knowing you, like I do so far, I know that you'll put up a fight… you'll disagree with my motives, but you'll follow my lead. I see it written on the walls of fate… Now… this is a lot for you to take in, so I will give you another opportunity to ask me a question. Go ahead. Anything you could possibly want to know!"_

_ Cody had wanted to know for some time what Darkrai's plan really was, and he was planning on asking just that when he got the chance. But now that he was aware that Darkrai did not even have an exact plan in place yet, he was a bit unsure of what to ask… but then he remembered the dark one saying that he was a good candidate. But he didn't understand why. That was what he wanted to know now._

_ "Well… why did you choose me? Out of the billions of people on the planet, why me?"_

_ Another thick silence lasted several seconds before Darkrai responded… with laughter. Loud, bellowing amused laughter. But as his laughter continued, it took on a scornful quality. After the Dark One's fit of laughter ended, it finally gave a proper answer.  
_

_"Choose you? That's adorable. You think I would have chosen you over somebody else? There are millions of people who are stronger, smarter, and more controllable than you. In the grand scheme of things, other than being a somewhat talented trainer, there is nothing special about you at all."  
Cody felt bewildered. "But you said I was-"_

"_A better candidate than Stella, but really, if I could choose anybody, I would have gotten the job done years ago. But no, you're simply the best of a bad situation, so if you were developing some feeling of uniqueness, it's unfounded."  
_

_"But… how does that even work?" he asked. "I just want to know why the hell I'm a piece of your evil scheme."  
_

_"Evil? You are so naïve," the Dark one sighed. "Someday, you'll learn that the good and evil aren't as black and white as you thought. However, in order for you to understand why things are the way they are, perhaps I'll give you the whole story. Would you appreciate that, Mr. Storm?" _

_Its question was obviously rhetorical, but Cody nodded anyway._

"_Excellent. Now… let me take you to the beginning." The room began to grow darker and darker until finally, nothing was visible at all. But all the while, Cody felt the "feeling" of the dream shift._

When Cody could see again, the dark room he had grown accustomed to was long gone. Instead, he was standing in an ancient looking forest with tall trees and lush mosses covering the rocks and stumps. In the distance, he could hear the songs of birds, sweetly sung through the breezeless air. He also realized that he was wearing clothes again (the ones he had worn to bed), but that only took his attention for a second before he turned around and saw a large stone shrine of sorts. The blocks of stone seemed to have designs carved into them, but even those were only partly visible, due to the covering moss. In the center of the construction of carved stones was what looked to be an egg, but its shell was like that of a mirror, reflecting its surroundings back into view. One of the things reflected by the mirrored surface was the vast lake behind him, and the water itself reflected the sun, partially covered by clouds. The day the Dark One had taken him to was surprisingly pleasant.

_Speaking of which, where is he-  
_

"Behind you."

Cody turned and saw… himself. Looking back at him was a perfect replica of himself, smiling like a smug bastard back at him. The only thing that was different was that this version of him was that it was monochrome in color, like an old black and white movie. But instead of being shocked or scared, Cody just kept staring back at it.

"Uh… wow… what… why are you… where are we?" he questioned, trying to be polite to Darkrai for once in the hopes that he would receive a proper explanation.

"A memory: the earliest one I have," it answered while looking over at the egg. "Do you know what that is?"

"An egg?" Cody guessed, shrugging nervously.

"Not just any egg," the Dark One answered. "This day was many millennia ago. Man is forming nomadic tribes, and life is hard for both them, and for pokemon of similar intelligence. The world is a brutal, dangerous place and they wonder if they can find any sort of peace, but here, at Lake Vibrant, Arceus has given them an answer."

Cody's head whipped from the egg to his shadow self. "Wait, Arceus? Are you being-"

Darkrai interrupted this train of thought with more laughter. "Yes Cody; Ao, 'The Beginning,' also known as Arceus, exists. I'm sure this is blowing your mind right now, but I will grant you this: he's not like what the churches say. As for the one above him, he's a harder to read. I guess existing on an entirely different plane makes it a bit more difficult."

"Wait, the one above him? You mean like-"

"God, Allah, the flying spaghetti monster, whatever you want to call him, he exists, but not in the way you were taught. Just assume there's a silent, higher power. But this isn't about him. Look here." The two of them took steps closer to the egg, which was beginning to wiggle. "In this ancient shrine, the Egg of Dreams was placed here to hatch." The egg continued to wiggle, and cracks began to cut through the reflecting surface. When the force of the breaking caused chips of the shell to fall, a melodic voice sung out, sounding of a soft harp. When the maker of the noise poked its head out of the broken egg, Cody felt his face warm up in awe. A tiny, yellow colored head that seemed to break into two crescent shapes on the sides emerged, and sang again.

"That's… is that-"

"Layvaira Somnata," Darkrai finished, catching an odd look from Cody. "She has many names, but most humans know her as Cresselia."

"Yeah, right," Cody replied, looking back down at the wonderful little pokemon that had hatched. Unlike Darkrai, he had actually heard of Cresellia before, given that there had been occasional sightings of her throughout Sinnoh and Unova over the years. Still, seeing the pokemon in real life, or rather, a real memory… it was amazing. No, amazing was an understatement. But as he searched for a new word, he cut himself short when he remembered that this was a memory of Darkrai… but where was Darkrai? His question was answered for him.

"Thing about Ao, he loves his balance," Darkrai continued, his voice darkening. "The scales must always be balanced for him. So this egg, meant to give hope for humanity through Cresselia, through the dreams she gave to the weak… it also gave something else.

"CREAUGH!" The ugly noise sounded like a mix between a baby's squeal and a crow's caw. Suddenly, a black hand reached from inside the egg, clutched the part that had been broken open, and pulled the body connected to it out. The "thing" (for lack of a better descriptive word) looked like a black blob with arms. It had smoky, white hair that seemed to be tossed and turned by the light breeze, a jagged red growth surrounding what looked to be its head, and icy blue eyes. Unlike Cresselia, it crawled away from the egg, gasping for air rather than singing.

Cody could not even put together a good sentence in order to respond to what he was looking at, so Darkrai did it for him. "Yes, that poor wretch you see there; that is me."

"So… you're a…"

"A pokemon, yes. A legendary one at that. And I am the twin brother of Cresselia, though only in a biological sense. She and I don't have any sort of loving bond, and on top of that, I don't identify with any sort of gender. It's just a tool that lesser beings, such as yourself, use to organize their world. Do you have any questions so far? If you do, you had better ask them, because I'm not going to show you this again."

"Why… why is she floating around and singing while you're crawling and barely being able to do anything?" Almost immediately, Cody thought he was going to get slapped for such a question, but he was pleasantly surprised with the answer he got.

"Hm… out of all the people I've shown this to, nobody has ever asked that question until now. It's an interesting observation to make," Darkrai pondered, smiling some. "You see, though I was necessary for Arceus's balance, the egg was created for the existence of my sister. It was always about her. To put it in terms that you will understand, she's Abel and I'm Cain. So never forget what you learned here: Arceus is balanced in his ways, but he's hardly fair to his creations. It doesn't matter how good of a person you are, because you still have a chance of getting murdered in your sleep."

"Wow, that was… that was depressing," Cody admitted. Of course, that was how he felt about the workings of life as well, but the way Darkrai had said it…

"As long as you understand the truth, how it makes you feel is irrelevant," the ancient pokemon replied coldly. "It's time to go." Just like that, the scene went black. The last thing Cody saw was the tiny form of the baby Darkrai crawling away. From the beginning of what he saw of this being's origins, his hopes for the rest of this trip were not high.

When the darkness faded, Cody saw that he and Darkrai were standing in the midst of what looked to be a small village, made up of crudely built homes. _A tribal, nomadic village like he mentioned earlier._ Kneeling around a fire were several humans, huddling to keep warm. They wore animal skins, and they looked like something out of a pre-historic textbook. Nearby, a few proto-mightyena were tied to a stake. They looked a lot like the modern day pokemon, except they were a bit bigger, their fur was grayer, and their fangs were much larger.

"What are we looking for?" Cody asked, curious as to why they were there.

"Look in the skies," Darkrai ordered. They both looked up to see a ghostly being descending, its figure blocking the moonlight. It had long white, smoky hair, red growths on its shoulder, a dark, ghostly body… Obviously Darkrai in his prime. Silently, he floated to the village, his eyes glowing villainously. The first to respond were the Mightyena, who barked wildly at the newcomer. The humans took their spears and went to face the monster, grunting unknown words to each other in pure fear. Effortlessly, the Dark One lifted his hand, creating a dark aura that passed over the men's heads. They fell over instantly. Next, Darkrai looked over at the barking dogs. The look was enough to silence them before they broke out in fearful whining. Once that was over, Darkrai knelt down and touched the head of each man.

"What… what are you doing?" Cody asked, not sure what he was looking at now.

"Feeding on their dreams and giving them nightmares," Darkrai answered casually, his mirrored form of Cody grinning like a child. "I never needed to do it in person, but it was so much better this way. To taste a dream in person… it's delectable beyond compare. But also, I give them nightmares. It was my purpose after all. People don't need me to have nightmares, but while Cresselia's purpose was to give people hope through dreams, it was my duty to remind them that they were only human. The next morning, they would wake up and not remember that I was there."

"And you enjoyed causing this suffering?" Cody asked, as he began to follow his shadow self into a hut where the past Darkrai had floated inside. He was now poisoning the minds of a mother and her children.

"Enough with the weeping heart," Darkrai scoffed, "I didn't kill them… at least the ones who didn't cause problems. Besides, at this point, I didn't question my purpose. I just did what I was supposed to do. Even though I was smarter than these humans, I really was no better than their dogs. Not until…"

The scene went dark again before reopening on another ancient civilization. Cody instantly recognized the location as a Mesoamerican location, judging by the pyramids in sight. It was night, and down below, he could see people of ancient times dancing. He and Darkrai were standing on top of a pyramid, and a few steps lower, the younger Darkrai was sitting, observing them, not even fidgeting.

"You remember how I said that I love observing people?" the Dark One asked, though he didn't even wait for Cody to answer him. "You see, as I continued to grow more aware of the world, I began to make observations about the reality of things. Look at those people down there. Do you know why they are dancing?"

"Err… I… I was never one for history," Cody admitted, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly.

Darkrai sighed. "Of course you wouldn't. That's a war dance. Tomorrow, they will go into battle and three fourths of them will lose their lives. I've revisited this memory so many times that I could point out to you which ones will die."

_That's kinda morbid._ But the young teen just didn't understand the point of this exercise. "Why are we here?"

"It was here when I began to put the pieces together," Darkrai answered vaguely. "Look at this civilization. People try so hard to have law and order in their lives. To have control of their domain. It's an admirable goal for simple, short-lived beings, but at the end of the day, it all falls to chaos. Every civilization has fallen, and every one today will fall eventually. Even the societies that I can't see the end of in the future will fall, but it's bound to happen sooner or later. In the end, people try so desperately and fruitlessly to control the chaos, rather than embracing it for what it is: the law of the universe."

Cody blinked, his mouth hanging somewhat open. "I'm sorry, I don't quite get what you're driving at."

"It's like this," Darkrai groaned, wishing he had somebody brighter to talk to, "I have no problem with humanity having law and order. It's the only way that your kind can survive successfully. What bothers me is their desire to control everything. I assure you that you can't, and you never will, so you're type is not the problem. It's Arceus and the creation of his guardians that are the problem, which is what I began to see reflected in your kind." He paused to make sure Cody was still following, but he didn't bother making sure. He just assumed. "There was a time when things ran as they should. Time was unadulterated, as was space, physics, mysticism, and life itself. Everything would have been pure without the touch of Ao mucking it up. Life would have come, creatures and people would have thrived eventually… but then, he interfered."

"How do you mean?"

"Arceus did not want to become a tyrant," the Dark One continued. "That was good of him, but instead of fading into the background, he indulged in his obsessions. Like I said earlier, Arceus loves balance, but he also loves security. Wanting to give powers to lesser pokemon to act as guardians, he created a multitude of demigods. Most of them you would know as "legendary" pokemon, though not all "legendries," such as Moltres, Raikou, Registeel… basically, legendries that can reproduce or are created by a lesser deities, are not guardians. The pokemon that are guardians are the ones who have infused themselves with the very things they watch over."

Cody just kept staring, not even sure what to say. Here Darkrai was talking about myths and legends like it was a casual day occurrence, though after all he had been through with the nightmare bringer, he shouldn't have been surprised.

"Picture it like this," Darkrai began to explain. "Dialga is the guardian of time, but as time passed, in order to have control over time, rather than be controlled by it, he slowly merged himself with his domain to the point in which he is the essence of time itself. He has become one with time. Do you understand?"

"Sort of…" Cody said, pushing his index finger against his temple. "But… is that really a bad thing? Time seems to be flowing fine. If what you say is true, it's not as if he's causing any sort of problem, or we would have some sort of record of-"

Darkrai silenced him with a simple, bitter glare. "Your faith in your historians is not well placed. He has caused problems, but you wouldn't realize it, as those who do are usually destroyed. Nobody recognizes the rifts in time he causes as he travels forward and back. Nothing has happened recently, but about 400 years ago, his meddling caused the deaths of hundreds in central Africa. And he's not the only perpetrator. Palakia, guardian of space, has created dangerous rifts as well. Mew may have spawned a multitude of cellular life, but her creations pushed out many of what was naturally growing. Jirachi is the center of mysticism now, but his wish giving has caused more harm than good in the hands of humans. Regigigas's thirst for control was the doom of multiple civilizations, including Atlantis. And don't even get me started on Groudon and Kyogre. Their tireless feud almost destroyed the world before it began. What's even worse are the guardians who have immersed themselves in the emotional and the philosophical, such as the lake guardians, Reshiram and Zekrom. None of them are perfect in their own right, and the thought of them corrupting the unviewable concepts of life is a haunting thought. Even my sister is beginning to slip into these faults, as she continues to drift closer to controlling the dreams of all. As tempting as it is, I try to stay away from falling into the patterns. I don't want to be like Ao. After what he had done…"

"Can't be any worse than you," Cody muttered under his breath, knowing full well that he was going to get a slap for that. He was right. After he clutched his sore cheek, the specter continued his monologue.

"Someday, you will understand," Darkrai sulked. "Today, we shall continue." The scene went black again before reopening at a beautiful stone temple of sorts. It was night, and Cody could see that Darkrai was kneeling before a grand statue of what looked sort of like the depictions of Arceus in those old children's books.

"I begged Arceus for the answers as to why things were so corrupt by his hand. Of course, he answered me in a way that was both simple and stupid. 'Reality is not perfect, but if we can become perfect in our ways, others will follow.'" The Dark One's tone deepened in anger. "That doesn't excuse the destruction of reality that they threaten the universe with. It doesn't excuse their past and present perverse actions. Look!" He had turned around and pointed in the other direction.

Cody turned to see a new scene that made him go pale. In a large field at sunset, what looked to be thousands of people and pokemon were running in various directions, and their screams of panic and fear chilled him to the bone. Above them, there were large "holes" (for lack of a better word) that were opening, some as high as the sky, others lower. These holes acted as vacuums, sucking some of the beings inside of them as they writhed about frantically.

"What… what am I looking at now?" Cody stuttered, unsure of what tragedy he was witnessing.

"Palkia's handy work," Darkrai spat. "Due to his selfish actions, he had ripped holes in space, and what goes into those holes will not come out alive on the other side. What was once nature was made perverse, and now, Ao views it as nature as it is now. It's disgusting. This universe was pure once, but now…" The scene went black again. "It was then when my thirst for power grew. I knew that for reality to become pure once more, these meddling guardians and their overlord must be dethroned. But knowing their self-importance, they would never step down by my word. In short, they would have to be destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Cody probed inquisitively. "Aren't they demigods? Isn't Arceus himself immortal? How do you destroy something like that?"

"My dear Cody, nothing in the physical realm is truly indestructible, including the guardians. Though in theory, any of them can live forever, but it is possible to kill any one of them. You see, in order to kill a guardian, you need the joined power of two other guardians."

"That's… that doesn't… how does that work?"

"Arceus knew that he couldn't create anything indestructible, should its lust for power grow too strong. Thus, for us guardians, he made it necessary that two guardians must participate in the destruction of another. That's why Groudon and Kyogre fought for so long. Neither of them were capable of defeating the other, so uninterrupted, they would have literally fought each other forever if it wasn't for Rayquaza'a intervention. Therefore, in order to gain any sort of success in dethroning Arceus, I would need help." The darkness faded into a new scene, this one containing a large group of individuals, each one covered in black tribal tattoos and surrounding a flame, chanting together as one man walked among them, his hands raised. "Many people today will not acknowledge my existence, as physical proof of me existing at any point of time is all but inexistent. Those who have seen me would just write my presence off as a dream while others just simply are thought to have gone mad. Sometimes, they actually do. But when I had a physical body, I made my presence known to the elite few who called themselves the Perfect Dark. Their numbers spread throughout the world, and my influence continued to grow, as my humans acted as my eyes, ears, and tongue. Ao would not interfere with this as he had in the past with his judgment, though the other guardians began to grow weary of my growing power. But again, I needed a partner guardian to follow me, and I found a willing one quite easily."

Without a darkness fade, the scene changed to an old cemetery, whose graves were large and decorative, though they were covered in moss and vines. From what Cody could see, it looked to be the oldest graveyard ever. In the center of the yard, he could see Darkrai talking to another figure. This being was much greater in size, and had thick plating that covered its body. It had grand wings that spread out beyond its elongated body, six legs, and a head encased in golden armor. The monster, while silent and stoic in this scene, still seemed fearsome just by looks alone.

"I found a partner in Giratina," Darkrai continued his story. "Banished for her violence many eons before this moment, she was constrained to the Distortion World, only being able to look upon her old world from this site. However, her curse was easily broken, and I told her that if she were to side with me, I would give her half of the power of what we would gain after defeating Arceus and his guardians. Filled with avarice, she eagerly accepted. Together, we would be able to destroy guardians… though my intentions were only to destroy one at first. You see, if a guardian who has infused himself with the universe is to perish, there is a brief period of time in which another guardian can take control of the fallen guardian's power, should he be nearby at the death of the guardian in question. Not only would the living guardian receive the power of the fallen, but he also becomes like two guardians. With that sort of power I would be able to kill guardians on my own. My plan was to use Giratina to help me kill Dialga, but once I had harnessed Dialga's power, I would kill Giratina next. Her greed and lust for power was threat to my restoration of the universe."  
Cody cocked his head as he stared at his shadow double. "That's… that's pretty dastardly of you."

"Hmph, you're biased," the Dark One scoffed. "She would have done the same to me, given the opportunity."

"Okay, fair enough, but what about you taking over Dialga's power? Doesn't that make you just as bad as the guardians that-"

"Yes, it does," Darkrai immediately agreed, "but sacrifices to my virtue needed to be made. As I said before, I'd need the power of two to defeat the guardians of time and space. Once defeating Dialga, I would turn on Giratina and take control of her strength as well. Then Palkia would fall next. After taking the strength of three of the strongest members of the physical realm, I would use their power to destroy Arceus. With his power, along with my own power and the power of those I defeated, no guardian would be able to defeat me. Once the world was rid of impurities, I would relinquish their powers back to the universe, only keeping my powers of darkness. There would be a period of chaos as the universe would adjust to the shift, but eventually, the dust would settle, and the universe would be pure once more. Assuming some life on this planet would survive, we would start anew with me as the ruler, allowing no other powers of the universe to be altered."

"You mean there's a possibility that everything would be killed in the process?" Cody asked, suddenly becoming very uncomfortable.

"It's possible," Darkrai mused, his shadow form of Cody frowning. "It would be a shame too. So many pokemon and people could die… ones who have simply been living in this grand dollhouse of the guardians. But if that is what the universe wills, so be it."

_Oh lord, I can't even comment on that right now._ To the young trainer, Darkrai was beginning to sound like a religious nut. "But… Arceus is a god or something," Cody stumbled in with another comment. "Wouldn't he'd be impossible to kill?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes," Darkrai answered flatly. "When Arceus is in his spirit form, he is untouchable. It is in his physical form that he is beatable by the power of two guardians like the rest of his minions. He gave himself this vulnerability, should the other guardians find him corrupt. However, except for when he comes to a physical form on his own, which is rare, it would not matter if he could just remain in spirit form where he could not be touched, even if it gave him less direct control. Therefore, the Azure Flute was forged by Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, and Regigigas, three of the favored servants of Arceus."

What looked like a holographic image of a blueish-purple object with various holes floated in front of Cody's eyes. The object looked like an ocarina from those old Zelda games, and he soon learned that he wasn't far off.

"The Azure flute," Darkrai clarified. "When the song of Arceus is played in one of his ancient temples, he will be summoned in his physical form for roughly an hour in human time, though this could not be done twice within a two hundred year period. This relic was made long ago for two reasons: to be used by humans to have council with Arceus and to be used by the guardians, should Arceus ever become too powerful. Of course, fearing that this power could be abused, human Arcean priests hid the flute deep within the earth. For years, it was lost, until…"

Darkrai pointed to the man who stood above a group of people dancing wildly near a fire. His bald head was decorated with black, intricate tattoos, and wearing a black cloak, lit up by the light of the bonfire. "That man's name is Josiah Bleak. At this time, he was the leader of the Perfect Dark, and I handpicked him for his mental strength, intelligence, charisma, and his ties to dark mysticism. After years of searching, he finally found the flute and then… our pilgrimage began.

The scene changed once more to a memory of a burning village. Cody felt a lurch in his stomach at the gruesome sight before him. The tribal people and their pokemon were burning down a village, amongst the scrambling, screaming villagers. Making their way through the slaughter were Darkrai and Giratina. While they were not participating in the destruction, they were not stopping it either, but just wading through the chaos. The Darkrai standing next to Cody continued his tale.

"As we made our trek to the nearest of his temples, many of my followers grew… 'restless.' Other than Josiah Bleak and a few of my more capable followers, most of my followers were… plagued with sicknesses of the mind. Psychopathy, sociopathy, and so forth. So on our pilgrimage, for every society we passed, we gave the people a choice: join us or we let the monsters tear them apart. Many disagreed, and so, I let my army destroy them, aiding them whenever they took on anything larger than the occasional hamlet. Casualties on our side were few, and so, our numbers grew. Eventually, my following was beyond my expectations. The defeat of Arceus was at hand as I led the most powerful army at the time to battle."

_At hand,_ Cody repeated in his mind. "But… judging by the situation now… you failed, correct?" He expected to be hit again and it looked like Darkrai was going to for a moment, but he just sighed.

"Things did not go according to plan." The scene had changed again to that of an ancient, decrepit, yet still beautiful temple with pillars and blocks carved out of exquisite marble. The temple was of gargantuan proportions, big enough to fit an army of a thousand soldiers, their pokemon, and still enough room for Giratina and Darkrai that stood in the center without being crowded by their minions.

"You see, I also had in my possession the Sigil of Ages, a relic that could summon Dialga. As I've said before, the plan was for us to summon Dialga and destroy him with mine and Giratina's power to give us enough strength to face Arceus. However, I believed Dialga would be too busy with his time entwinement to notice my actions, which in the lengths of time, was a minor event. However, he had learned, and had brought his brother, Palkia with him to fight us." The scene played out as Darkrai spoke. After an interdimensional hole opened, revealing the two ancient pokemon of space and time, Darkrai and Giratina clashed with the two legends as the soldiers cheered their support for their leader. "Even so, we could have won this fight. We were evenly matched. However, Giratina was a coward. Fearing she would lose and be destroyed, she fled early, leaving me to fight Arceus's pets." As he said this, Giratina suddenly opened a dark portal and left the scene of the battle, leaving her comrade to face the duo of time and space all by himself. For some time, it appeared that Darkrai would be overwhelmed, but realizing what had happened, his followers sent their pokemon to swarm Dialga and Palkia. "Knowing I would fail, my followers helped me win the fight. However, while we managed to knock the two of them out, I could not destroy them without Giratina's help. I knew we would have to fall back, but then…" The scene flashed white as a figure, flowing so bright that Cody could not identify it, stepped into the temple.

"Is… is that…"

"Yes, Arceus," Darkrai answered grimly. "He returned to our realm at the pleading of Dialga and Palkia, a rare thing for him to do. I did not think he would return on his own, but I was wrong." The former Darkrai tried to attack the god pokemon with a shadow ball attack, but it was futile against the holy being. With a second flash of light, the glowing figure obliterated Darkrai in a bright explosion that was the result of a concentrated beam shot by the glowing beast. Once they had seen the destruction if their leader, the army of fiends went into panic, fleeing the great hall and the presence of the awesome Arceus. The scene went dark once more.

"But… you survived?" Cody asked, realizing that Darkrai could not be completely dead.

"In a sense, yes," the Dark One answered solemnly, looking downward. "My physical body was destroyed by Arceus, but for the sake of balancing both dreams and nightmares, he allowed me to exist within the spirit realm. From there, I can still send nightmares to people, though I cannot see who I am giving them to. But without my presence, the Perfect Dark began to crumble, as the leaders were unable to keep those inflicted with madness in line… however, Josiah Bleak remained."

Cody and Darkrai now looked on at a memory of Bleak in deep meditation, surrounded by candles. To Cody, the scene looked positively satanic in appearance, but Darkrai didn't seem to care about Cody's thoughts on this. "You see, Bleak still kept a connection with me, and we communicated each night, since as you have noticed, my connection is strongest with people when the sun is not out in their current location. For years, we worked to devise a new plan, but to little avail. Our first plan was for me to take Bleak's body as my new physical form, but I could not seem to pass into his body. Even if I could, he only had a few decades left in his natural life, making him an unsuitable host. But we figured out the problem: in order for me to pass into a physical form in your realm, the body in question needs a piece of my soul embedded in it. However, as a man or pokemon ages, his or her soul becomes more solidified and hardened to change. Therefore, the scattered pieces of my soul can only attach themselves to infants within the first year of life, though I cannot control who specifically these pieces attach to. I do choose humans over pokemon though. Humans seem to have that "it" factor for making them good vessels… or they would be if I could get the right ones…"

Cody had no response to what Darkrai had just told him at first. It was all so confusing, but as he began to piece the information together, he realized something that disturbed him. "A piece of your soul… is in me?"

"Oh, don't get all melodramatic and angsty over it," Darkrai groaned wearily, shaking his head, "it doesn't make you any different from other people in most respects. It just means that I can contact you in your dreams and eventually, after becoming accustomed to your form, use you as a vessel."

"It all seems so easy," Cody mumbled, more to himself than the Dark One. "Shouldn't you have been able to do what you want to do by now? Won't you eventually run out of soul to split?"

"My soul has plenty of substance for the time being," Darkrai answered. "I can continue doing this for another thousand years, give or take a century before I run out. I've been very careful, only releasing a hundred or so pieces each year, so I have time to spare. As for why I have not been successful, the main problem lies within the fact that I can't see who my pieces of soul attach to. The only way I can see who have been touched is through the eyes of one of my marked ones. Ever since the first time I spread my soul throughout the world, I had to search for the recipients through Josiah Bleak's eyes. From then on, I searched though their eyes, and so on…" He paused for a second, looking down at the ground in disgust. "And that was where things went wrong. You see, I haven't been successful because humans, while sometimes being malleable, are not always accepting of my presence."

"Golly, how could they?" Cody responded with heavy cynicism, though Darkrai seemed not to pay attention.

"You see," the Dark One continued, "not only must I become accustomed to a marked one's physical and mental self, but they must also willingly accept me into their body. This is where the issue is. Most people do not wish to give themselves up in any sense. So I must manipulate their minds. However, some individuals a strong enough to resist me, causing my efforts to fall short of the goal. Others are so weak, my very presence will drive them into a mad, making them incapable of accomplishing anything. Some members of both sides of the spectrum have killed themselves to escape me. You however, among a few others, have the perfect balance. You are strong enough to not fall into madness, but weak enough to not resist me completely. Also, I've seen your soul and your dreams. You are too driven, so I doubt you would kill yourself, and you have enough self-confidence to believe that you can overpower me. I like that. It will keep you alive long enough for me to do what I need to do. That is why you are a perfect specimen… or really, the best of a bad situation. In a perfect world, you would fit the individual aspects even better than you do right now, and you would also be a follower like some of the modern day cultists are. But I will work with what I have, so don't let it get to your head, Storm."

_Everything went black now, returning to the dark dimension that the two normally visited in. "Now, I have other matters to attend to, so I hope you have learned something tonight. Maybe someday you will understand my-"_

"_This doesn't make sense," Cody interrupted, risking his captor's anger, though Darkrai ended his sentence politely to listen. Perhaps the entire night of stroking his ego had put him in a good humor. "You said you didn't want to take Bleak's body because it would die soon. Then why would you want to come into my body? You'd only get about 65 years or so out of me unless the average life expectancy makes a sudden jump. What would that even do for you? Wouldn't you want a more permanent form?"  
_

_A long silence overtook before Darkrai finally started again… this time, with a hearty chuckle. "Very good. You have been paying attention. The answer is one that I will explain on another night. I have given you enough to think about for tonight." The eyes of the beast grew to an extra-large size and slanted to intimidate the young trainer. "Just remember something and remember it well: I have made you my newest target, Mister Storm, and I am not going away. There is no force on this earth that is going to change that, so take my suggestion: continue to train your pokemon. Chase that dream of yours. Maybe you'll complete it before I'm ready for you, so you might as well try finding some happiness in that. But this all ends in one of two ways: either I win or you fail. So when your time comes, I recommend you give in to me easily. If you do, I'll give you an easy way out of what is to come. You have my word. And while you may believe me to be a treacherous monster, I can assure you that I do not break promises. Remember that when you reach the crossroads."  
_

When his eyes opened, all Cody could do was stare into the darkness that was the dormitory at nothing in particular, letting the thoughts on what Darkrai had shown an told him race through his mind. Like the Dark One had told him, there was still a part of him that believed that he could overcome like others before him. Maybe he could. If others were able to, so could he. Still, his role in this cosmic battle that Darkrai was fighting seemed so large for being just one person. It was too much for him to comprehend. For the time being, all he could do was stare into the abyss for what seemed like hours and continually ask himself _"why?"_


	32. Chapter 32: The Cold Truth

**Here we are with a new chapter, going back to Frank's perspective. Hints about the future are hidden within the text, so keep your eyes peeled and get busy creating wild theories and keep the reviews coming! Thanks to Magikarp Master for editing and Zogg and Spiraea for the reviews. And without further ado…**

* * *

**Chapter 32: The Cold Truth**

The Haven House in Firnborn City became a busy and successful place fairly shortly after being erected, and it wasn't hard to see why. Because the town was host to Skitrex's ice-type gym leader and company, there were quite a few trainers who came to the city, lost several gym battles, and were then left flat out of luck and out of money. The organization had taken in seventy-five young trainers since setting up shop, training some and giving jobs and housing to the others. Truly, the Haven House was doing a superb job following through with its goal.

There were still a few problems that had persisted. From the get go, getting a building or even a place to build from the ground up was difficult, given the high property value. Because Firnborn City was located so closely to the Arcticuno's nesting mountain, it was always full of tourists who came in from all over Skitrex and beyond to go skiing, vacationing, to watch high tiered gym battles, and to see the beautiful ice bird fly over her domain. Therefore, property was expensive. But even after Ideal Imports provided the sub-division of the organization with money to purchase the building, other problems arose, namely involving the town itself. The elected officials did not like the housing units of the Haven House, which were promoted citywide. They believed that such promotions of housing for the poor devalued the city that they worked so hard to advertise. "Why would people want to come to a city that is defined by its charity handouts and a mass of freeloaders walking the streets? The current population will only be a discredit to the atmosphere" an elected official argued. Places of business weren't so happy either. The hotels and motels already had to compete with pokemon centers that offered free housing (even on a limited basis), but now they had to compete with Haven as well. Restaurants were not all that happy about the organization either, now that some trainers went to Haven for a free meal rather than paying for their overpriced food. In the end though, these were just annoyances, as the Haven House had only received a few threatening letters and nothing more.

All and all, Frank did enjoy being in Firnborn. He wasn't making a whole lot of money (which sucked, given how expensive everything in the city was), but given that he got free food and a free bed, that didn't matter so much, aside from paying to support Isaac's coffee addiction. Plus, he didn't mind the cold, the scenery was beautiful, and sometimes, he could see the Arcticuno flying off in the distance from his window. Helping people and living in a winter wonderland was the perfect life for him.

_[So bored…]_ Isaac whined. The Mr. Mime looked like a deflated balloon in his current position, collapsed in an old armchair. _[Can't we go buy an Xbox or something?]_

"Why, so you can get bored of that too?" Frank chuckled, putting his book down to look over at his pokemon. Unlike Isaac, the other two pokemon seemed content with their day off. Wendy the Masquerain was hanging on the wall, content with her sleep. His newest pokemon, Maxwell the Buizel, was curled up near the space heater. Frank had found the poor sea weasel pokemon abandoned in Tempest Valley, and adopted him when his trainer could not be found. While a decent battling pokemon, Maxwell seemed to have general anxiety among people and much larger pokemon. According to the nurses who treated him that night, the pokemon was likely abused. However, the Buizel seemed rather content with his life now.

_[Well, I'd be interested in it longer than these books,]_ the mime groaned, holding his book up for his trainer to see. _[Your friend across the hall lent me this novel. Just another trashy romance piece of crap. I think I'd rather ladle soup during my down time.]_ When seeing the evil look that Frank was suddenly giving him, Isaac retracted that last sentence. _[Don't even think about it.]_

"As much as I would love to play videogames with you, we don't have the money. We don't even have a TV other than the one in the common room." Frank started to feel a little guilty. Isaac was quite the complainer, but a pokemon like himself did need more mental stimulation than most other pokemon and some people. "It's Sunday, so we'll visit the library tomorrow when it's open. But until then, can't you just enjoy the day off like the other two?" he asked, referencing the other two pokemon in the room.

Isaac rolled his eyes. _[I love sleeping on the floor next to the heater as much as the next guy, but unlike the rest of you, I don't like taking a day off from thinking. Seriously, why don't we do anything anymore? Why don't YOU do anything anymore? You're either working or sleeping. When was the last time we saw a movie? When was the last time you've been on a date? You ever look for that special woman anymore? … or man? I don't judge.]_

"Ha ha," Frank laughed sarcastically, though he did have to admit that the idea of going out on a date did sound like a fun change of pace. _Come to think of it,_ he thought, _I haven't been on a date in over a year. Can't even remember the name of the last girl I slept with… wow, Isaac is right._ The problem was that he felt nervous about dating at the moment, given his association with the organization. Some of the members he was friends with were dating people on the outside, but given the information he knew, he was slightly afraid he would give too much important information away. There were some of the women he worked with, but he knew that dating a co-worker could cause unwanted drama. Still, it wasn't an option he completely ruled out.

"Tell you what, Isaac," he began again, stretching back in his bed again, "there's a new girl here that arrived yesterday and seventeen or so. She has a Jynx. How about a double date? Would that work for you?"

_[A Jynx? Really?]_ the Mr. Mime telepathically groaned. _[I've never met a Jynx that wasn't a complete ditz. I don't-]_ Isaac stopped midsentence, noticing Frank rolling his eyes again. Suddenly, he felt kind of bad. As much as he loved giving Frank, his trainer and partner in crime, the business, he knew that Frank was at least trying. _[You know what, that would be alright, Frank.]_

"I'm glad you think so," the trainer laughed. He was about to lie back down on the bed when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" he called back.

A redheaded man about his age opened the door and immediately started talking. "Frank, Paulson wants you downstairs for some work. He didn't tell me what it was, but by the looks of things, their going outside. You better put on a coat."

"Really Connor?" Frank groaned wearily. "It's my day off. Paulson knows it. He couldn't-"

"You want to take that up with Paulson?" the other man asked.

Remembering who his current boss was, Frank didn't have to think twice about that. He looked over at his Mr. Mime and made a weak grin. "It looks like we got something to do now."

* * *

There was a good reason why Frank didn't openly question Tyrone Paulson's decision to call him to work on his day off: the man was an intimidating beast. Not in his personality (for he was usually stoic and spoke with a firm, yet calm voice), but physically speaking, Paulson had the build of a Greek god. The man stood at six foot four, and he was built like a tank, being purely composed of muscle. In his early twenties, he had taken the world of mixed martial arts by storm, physically dominating all competitors in the cage with his brute strength and knowledge of martial arts. It was an awful tragedy however, when after winning the SHC Championship, the man came down with a serious staph infection, forcing him to relinquish the belt.

After suffering and overcoming the infection though, Tyrone's spirit seemed doused, as he had lost interest in competing in the cage. Rather, he retired early and devoted time to training young MMA competitors. He even branched into pokemon, becoming a trainer and teaching his pokemon martial arts. But rather than training pokemon like those in the Machop family (all of which are naturally able to learn martial arts), he focused on different pokemon. His star pupil: a Primeape. This was truly incredible, as members of the Mankey family were generally known for their uncontrollable rage, a trait that was rarely suppressed through training. But through a disciplined training regime, frequent meditation, and a large amount of commitment from Paulson himself, the Primeape learned to control his rage. When he wasn't fighting, the pig monkey pokemon seemed oddly calm. But in battle, the pokemon used various forms of martial arts, combined with his rage that he let loose in increments. He was so well trained, that when he thrashed about in common Primape form, he kept himself from becoming fatigued or losing control.

Tyrone Paulson's ability as a trainer (of both people and pokemon) and the large donations of his fortune that he made towards organizations such as WHO and the Red Cross caught Father Ezekiel's attention. The former fighter accepted the Father's invitation, working publicly with Haven Houses as a donor and a lead organizer, but behind the scenes, he was recognized as an elite trainer and one of Father Ezekiel's three apprentices. Of this position, he rarely spoke of with anybody.

"By now, you're probably wondering why I've called you out to come with us on your day off," the large man asked as he slowly made his trek through the Frostscar valleys, deep below the towering, icy mountains. He led a small group of his chosen trainers, each of which had a team of six strong pokemon with them. Behind the line was a brutish looking Mamoswine that was carrying various supplies and equipment. In the frosty environment, the pokemon made a great pack mule, given its adaptation to the snow. Frank couldn't help but feel like the odd man out in this expedition.

"A little bit," Frank admitted, embracing himself tightly to keep warm. Even with his thick coat and hat, the air chilled his entire body. He looked over at Isaac, who was also wearing a coat and hat, but was putting up a little force field around himself to reduce the wind-chill. He had been covering his trainer too, but now limited the bubble to himself, given how tiring holding up a barrier could get.

"I'm surprised you haven't complained yet," Frank muttered to his pokemon.

_[This is so much better than sitting back at the base with our thumbs up our asses,]_ the mime messaged him with a grin.

"As you know," Paulson continued, his voice still firm in the freezing cold, "archeologists, scholars, and several mythologists have determined that an ancient legendary pokemon resides or has resided in these mountains long ago, one that predates the Arcticuno that flies above us and her ancestors that have lived here. Texts have described this ancient pokemon as a relentless bringer of ice storms, and since there is enough evidence in these ancient texts to suggest that there is a Regice living in Skitrex, we believe that this is not a coincidence. A week ago, we discovered the entrance to some ancient ruins that may hold said pokemon. These ruins have been untouched for millennia, which would make sense as a possible location for Regice, given that a pokemon such as Regice would not need to leave for food. We could have blown up the ruins to gain entrance; we have enough explosives packed on the Mamoswine to do it if we have to. But since Father Ezekiel would hate it if we destroyed ancient artifacts and locations, we gathered the correct 'supplies' to gain entrance in a less explosive manner. Once inside, we'll overpower the ancient pokemon and capture it in this."

The dark skinned man held up a purple colored pokeball that Frank recognized as a Master Ball: a pokeball that was created by the Silph Co., specifically for catching legendary pokemon, since most legends had enough energy contained in their bodies to escape standard grade pokeballs, even when fainted. But from what Frank had heard, legendary pokemon were capable of escaping the Master Ball by breaking the capture before the ball could close completely. They would have to knock the monster in question out first. Masterballs were so powerful and difficult to make however, that Silph co. only gave them out to professors and certain trainers that they deemed trustworthy. Such a device in the wrong hands could lead to disastrous results. Frank wondered how Father Ezekiel even managed to get his hands on one… aside from the one that he was rewarded with back in '92 for his research on Moltres. Maybe that was _the _very Master Ball? Or perhaps Isaac was correct about delivering a pokeball to Father Ezekiel that may have been a Master Ball.

"If there is a Regice here, can we even overcome it?" Frank asked, knowing that legendary pokemon were dangerous in their own right.

"My elite have fire pokemon with them. I have my own team as well. Victory is guaranteed," Paulson answered, showing no hesitation in his voice. "Of course, you're still wondering why you're here. You are hardly an outstanding trainer or a key to our success…"

"Rubbing it in much?" Frank chuckled awkwardly in response, though he instantly became nervous. Tyrone Paulson didn't joke. However, the man seemed not to care about Frank's quip.

"Father Ezekiel likes you," Paulson replied, giving no real indication of his opinion on the matter. "You've recruited more individuals to our cause than any individual member, and your service has been noticed. He plans to bring you into his inner circle of disciples. Not as an apprentice, but as our human relations person. Because he wants you as a part of his circle, he has decided to share the experiences of our plan with you. Make sense?"

"Sure," Frank agreed, though he was not so sure about how seeing a Regice would help him in the organization. Still, the experience was not one he would pass up. "What are we going to do with this thing when we catch it?"

"Father Ezekiel will use it at a later date as a part of our goals," Paulson answered cryptically. "For now though, it will require training so that it can be used as an asset on the battlefield. I believe his grandson expressed interest in training it. It's a good fit to be honest: a cold pokemon for a cold trainer like-" Paulson stopped suddenly, his eyes showing a small glimmer. "We're here."

In front of the group was the base of one of the many Frostscar Mountains, though this one had an ancient looking doorway at its base, surrounded by rubble. The doorway was covered in ancient symbols like the ones that were in Father Ezekiel's book that Frank had briefly seen. When looking down at his feet, Frank noticed that they were standing on an old stone path, though he could only see traces of it through the ice and snow.

"I can't believe nobody found this before us," Frank said out loud. They were deep within the mountains after several hours of walking, but even then, ancient temples such as these were not something that people would just glance over.

"We pinpointed several potential locations by those ancient maps we were given a few months ago," one of Paulson's elite trainers told him, his demeanor matching his boss's. "We went to said locations and melted all of the glacier snow that had built up over the years with our fire pokemon. That's actually illegal out here, but nobody is watching this deep in the mountains."

The expedition party entered through the ancient doorway into a dark room that seemed to be colder than the outside. With no wasted motions, Paulson's elite trainers lit up several lanterns and placed them throughout the room. Frank now gazed at the walls, letting the feeling of awe rush over him as he scanned over the beautiful letting and ancient carvings that decorated the room. The pictures, while primitive, were beautiful and looked as if they took the hand of a delicate artist to create, given their detail.

"Fire pokemon at the ready," Paulson ordered, raising his voice for the first time in Frank's memory. All six of the trainers released one pokemon a piece: a Charizard, a Marcargo, a Camerupt, a Simisear, a Ninetales, and a Flareon. Paulson himself released his Typhlosion; an intimidating pokemon that barely reached his trainer's shoulders. Frank looked over to see Isaac step to his side. He smiled at his partner's protectiveness. Even in the face of a legendary, his Mr. Mime was not about to leave his side.

"Now… for the finishing touch," Paulson said out loud, pulling a few extra pokeballs from a pouch that hung from the Mamoswine's side. He tossed all three of them into the open and from the light sprung several tiny, black pokemon pokemon, their bodies forming different designs. Each of them hummed a slightly different note as they began to float about.

Frank instantly recognized the pokemon as being Unown. He had gotten quite used to seeing them as of late, ever since more of the organization's research parties were being sent to raid ancient temples and holy grounds around the globe where these pokemon tended to flock in almost limitless numbers. Many of the mysterious pokemon were captured and given to recruits, being that they were relatively simple to train, didn't require food, were exceptionally loyal, and would defend their trainers in situations that required self-defense or attack. However, most Unown were weak, only being able to fight with basic energy attacks, though they were still valued as being powerful in groups. These pokemon had other properties that made them useful, or so Father Ezekiel said, though he refused to explain what these properties. That man could never give a straight answer about anything, it seemed.

"Frank, come here," Paulson called out. Frank took a few steps closer, and began to make out the shapes of the Unown. He was confused to see that they were unfamiliar to him. Most of the Unown tended to resemble letters of the alphabet or punctuation marks, but these specimens looked absolutely foreign in design.

Paulson seemed to understand Frank's confusion and answered the unasked question. "Unown are strangely connected to human language," he began to explain. "They tend to form in the shape of the lettering of the language they spawned near. If you go to ruins in Russia, the Unown there will resemble the Russian alphabet. In China, they resemble Chinese characters. The Unown you see here are incredibly rare, as they represent Pocraise lettering, a language that has been forgotten by all except scholars and sages. Together, these three pokemon spell out 'Vha Ise Morovo,' or 'The Eternal Snow'. They were especially hard to collect, given that these three Unown belonged to individual trainers not associated with us, but we managed to collect them via trades, gifts, and other means when necessarily," Paulson added shadily. Frank knew better than to ask for details on the "other means." "You see, these ruins can be opened by the correct Unown entering the keyholes on the door. Like so…"

Tyrone Paulson pointed at the door, and without hesitation, the Unown flew to their respective holes on the wall, fitting like gloves. Suddenly, the pokemon began to glow a dark bluish light as the door began to make a creaking noise of rock rubbing against rock. Slowly the door began to shift to the right, revealing the inner sanctum of the ruined temple. As it moved, each man, woman, and pokemon in the room felt a cold gust of air hit their bodies, causing all of them to shiver (including the fire pokemon themselves.) But all eight trainers and their pokemon remained very still until the door stopped moving and the Unown returned to Paulson's side. Then, Paulson took a lantern in hand and led his team into the room.

"It's empty…" One of Paulson's elite stated emptily, her voice bouncing off the walls. Truly, the room was barren. While the walls had intricate writing on them like the last room, the room itself was as empty as a Gengar's heart, save the large, icy stalactite that had reached the ground in the room's center.

_[What a letdown. I wanted to fight something,]_ Isaac sighed, falling into a slump.

"Because you could totally fight a Regice and win," Frank replied, stifling his laughter so that he wouldn't upset any of the other trainers.

_[Let me dream,]_ the mime replied sourly. He started towards the door when Paulson's voice boomed throughout the room.

"There is _something_ here." He held his lantern to the joined stalactite and stalagmite, resulting in a resounding gasp. Within the ice was some sort of creature. It was no Regice, but a pokemon trapped in the ice was frightening to look at nonetheless. Looking at the pokemon through the ice that the light shown through, the monster they saw looked to be about ten feet tall, having a wide girth, and a shaggy face, whose mouth was open in mid-roar when the ice had frozen over it. It was also notable that the beast had his arms thrown up in the air upon being frozen into an oversized popsicle. Though other details were difficult to make out, one of the trainers identified what the group was looking at.

"Is that… an Abomasnow?" one of them asked. Paulson tilted his head after hearing the response.

"Not a modern day one," the dark-skinned man answered, his eyes not moving from the frozen pokemon he stared at. "The jaw structure is much wider, and the rest of its face is ridiculously exaggerated in comparison to a modern day species and its variants, at least from the pictures I've seen. I'm no paleontologist, but I'd say that this is an ancestor to the modern day Abomasnow. Not what we were looking for, but an interesting find nonetheless."

"You've got to be kidding me," one of the trainers groaned, visibly exasperated. "We did all this searching and for what? Some dead pokemon in cave? Why does this thing even have a cave with all this writing all over it anyway? Fucking ridiculous. I-" The trainer suddenly stopped when Paulson shot him a glare that made the ice on the floor look by comparison.

"Despite all the pine trees, no record of the Snover line has ever been found in Skitrex," Paulson began to explain to his disappointed crew. "This Abomasnow must have wandered in from another land, and if it is anything like the modern day species, perhaps it has the ability to alter the air pressure to influence snowstorms. The ancient people of these parts may have worshipped it as a god or feared it as one, leading them to build it this temple… or prison… Why it is frozen in here is beyond me. We'll have to bring in a scholar and an anthropologist to answer those questions. Until then, we'll report back to base and contact the Father on our findings and wait for further instruction." The tall former fighter stretched his head closer to look into the pokemon's frozen eyes. "For all we know, this thing might still be alive."

"Should we thaw the thing out?" one of the trainers asked, his Charizard standing in position to open fire on the target.

Paulson shook his head. "Negative. Whether it's alive or dead, we don't want to damage it. Even if it is dead, the Father would still like to have it unharmed. Unfortunately, I do not know how to go about extraction of such a specimen, so we'll leave it be for now. When everybody is out, Jordan, I want your Mamoswine to cause a small avalanche outside the doorway. We don't want anybody else coming and finding our prize. For now, everybody out."

The trainers and their pokemon began to leave the room, each with a face more saddened than the last. Frank and Isaac were the last in line to leave, but Paulson stopped them, holding his big hand out to signal their stop.

"I guess this trip was a failure," Frank sighed, his breath flowing from his mouth in a visible form.

"No," Paulson answered sternly and stoically. "We never fail. Regice is somewhere in Skitrex. We just know that it's probably not in these mountains. A shame, really, but we will continue our search. But even though we did not find what we were searching for, we found this." He motioned back towards the proto-Abomasnow; frozen in time. "We will use it to our advantage. When you join the inner circle of Father Ezekiel's disciples, you will learn more about how we can turn anything into an advantage. This ancient pokemon… we will find a way for it to aid us. Perhaps we will sell it to a collector to aid our conquest. Maybe we will resurrect it and use it in battle. Whatever the case, we will find a use for this unintended treasure." He paused, his eyes turning a deeper shade of serious. "And like always, not a word about what you have seen today to anybody outside of today's, even within the organization. As Father Ezekiel has said many times before, secrets can give a person or people power. For now, you will say nothing. Consequences exist for those who not follow the orders they are given. But you understand that already, right?"

"I always have," Frank answered, his eyes lowering in subordination. He knew that there were still many secrets. So much he didn't understand… he wanted to know it all. For while he knew in his heart that he was helping people, the organization was still riddled in mystery… and for the first time in a while, that really bothered him.

* * *

_[So we're really going to the library tomorrow?]_, Issac pestered his trainer.

"Yeah, yeah, sure…" Frank said, not drawing his eyes from the window. His vision slowly trailed the lovely Arcticuno that flew by, her shadow contrasting with the setting sun. Everything the legendary bird of ice did seemed to be filled with grace and majesty. The very flapping of her wings was so fluid in appearance that it looked to be aesthetic rather than useful for flying, if that made any sense. Still, the longer he stared at her, the more bothered he became.

_[Good. I need something challenging,]_ the mime continued, ignoring his trainer's discomfort._ [A philosophy book or something would be nice. No, a book in a different language. I got time. Might as well learn French. It would be so cool if we got transferred to a different country, don't you-]_ The mime finally saw that something was wrong with his trainer, and his concern grew. _[What are you looking at?]_

"Her," Frank answered idly, not looking back.

The Mr. Mime a loud sigh, using his real voice instead of his telepathic one. _[Why? This is what I don't understand about humans: why do you care so much about pokemon like her? What is so great about her anyway? I get that she's rare, but she's the exact same bird that she was yesterday. Why are you so interested? It's not like she's going anywhere.]_

"That's the thing," Frank began to elaborate. "Her species is almost extinct. She's only left these mountains once to search for a mate, and since she never laid an egg, she obviously wasn't successful in finding one. So why does she stay here? I know they can only lay one egg every few decades or whatever, but what if she never finds a male? I know there's a male living in northern Canada, so why doesn't she go live with him until her next cycle comes up, guaranteeing her an egg? What if something happens to her before it's too late? Poachers, disease, old age… Arcticuno supposedly have human level intelligence, so what keeps her here? Why doesn't she embrace her freedom? Why does she stay here?"

_[Hmm…] _Isaac now joined his trainer's side, putting a gloved hand on his trainer's shoulder. _[That's not something I can answer, Frank. There are a lot of possibilities. Maybe Arcticuno don't do well in flocks like Pidgey do. Maybe there is enough food here that she doesn't have to leave and by living with another Arcticuno, she'd have less. Maybe this Arcticuno in particular likes her solitude. Maybe she's not as worried like you are. Or maybe… maybe she just feels like this is where she needs to be.]_

Frank looked over, quizzically, at that last possibility. "What do you mean by that?"

_[Maybe she just belongs here and that's just it,]_ he reiterated. Yawning, he turned to his bed. _[I'm going to sleep. When you're done questioning the natural order of things, turn the light off.]_

"Sure…" he responded dully. For now, all he could do was remember the day's events, rethink over Isaac's words, and stare at the bird that flew above the mountains. _Where she belongs… trapped in something greater than her, following the ebb and flow of fate…_ He couldn't understand why Isaac would try to boil down a complex question of why an Arcticuno would live alone into such a simplistic answer. Yet, that was how he felt now: he was deep within the organization as he had wished to, but as he gained power, he felt as though he was losing it too. So many secrets were still at large: why did the organization want a Regice so badly? Why did Father Ezekiel want to talk with traveling trainer so desperately that he was willing to send snatchers after him? What was with the mass distribution of Unown? What were the powers that they had that would make them so important besides opening ancient doors? What was the goal in the big picture of the superior one? And where was Frank in that picture, now that he was so entwined within it? He suddenly felt about as "free" as the legendary bird in the Frostscar Mountains that seemed to be constrained to these mountains by her nature alone. And now, reviewing his situation, he was beginning to see that that was something that he couldn't change.


	33. Chapter 33: Someone's Savior

**Badaboom! Another chapter. We're drawing closer and closer to the end of the first year. There will be some big chapters coming up! Prepare yourselves!**

**Review Response:  
**_Okay, you want a wild theory? I've got two of them. Theory One: Father Ezekiel's organization is the current incarnation of the Bleak and is trying to get the Regice for Dakrai's plans: Theory Two: Jared is Ezekiel's grandson._

**Hmm… the first one could be true. But the second one… Paulson described Ezekiel's grandson as being cold. Jared may not be the most likable guy, but I wouldn't say he's cold.**

_I also like the realistic passage of time. It took six months for Antonia to reach maturity_

**The build up seemed to pay off. But yeah, I never liked the idea of a trainer becoming champ in one year or less. There should be a bit of buildup and years of training. In this universe, pokemon tend to level off in strength after a few years of training, but trainers themselves have to keep working to improve their craft if they want a chance at getting places.**

**Anyway, thanks to Magikarp Master for the editing.  
**

* * *

**Cody: **Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick)

**Heather: **Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Gloom), Smaug (Trapinch)

**Jared: **Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Jolteon, Fearow, Onix

**Chapter 33: Someone's Savior**

In the midst of the light breeze that broke through the warm air, combined with the songs of the spring birds, Heather could not have been gladder about the end of Skitrex's last winter. Skitrex had always been known for having unbearable winters, but since she had to be traveling and sleeping outside during most of it, she had it in her mind that the past winter was the worst one ever.

Today however, she was grateful that they were taking it easy. The little grove they were in was an old abandoned picnic area for the nearby town, and the trees gave a nice amount of shade. Jared was at a table, grooming his Jolteon, while Cody was off doing… his thing. However, she was taking full advantage of the beautiful day, lying back in the grass, using the palms of her hands as a pillow. Somnos was sleeping nearby (as usual), Sasha was busy chasing the Butterfree that flew by, and Smaug was sunning himself on her stomach. She reached forward with one hand to pet the Trapinch's bulbous head before returning to her own sunning. _So warm and sunny out… damn I picked a good day to wear shorts. So comfy._

"Heather, can I talk to you for a minute?"

_Jared. _Of course he had to interrupt her almost nap. She knew that she should have been happier to answer her boyfriend's call, but judging from his tone, he was probably going to complain about something. Scooping Smaug into her arms, she stood up and walked over to where her boyfriend was sitting.

"What's up?" She asked as she sat down next to him. She reached over and petted the Jolteon's fur, receiving a ticklish static shock as her fingers made contact. The electric pokemon licked her hand, adding to the bits of electricity that ran through her body.

"Nothing… that's what's bothering me," Jared replied suspiciously, looking over at Cody. The other teenage boy was sitting with Bastion on the top of the hill. Nearby, Elesa and Colossal were napping under the shade and Antonia was elsewhere at the moment, probably off hunting.

"What is with him?" Jared asked, though the question seemed to be directed at the world in general and not just Heather.

"Seriously?" Heather groaned, getting really tired of all of this animosity between the two boys. "He hasn't done anything of note in the past few days. All he's been doing is training, mapping our course, and following Diglett colonies. What could he have possibly done to upset you?"

"Absolutely nothing, which is why I'm freaking out here," Jared shot back, somewhat frustrated as seen in his widening eyes. "He's been way too quiet lately, and that's not in his character at all. Plus, He's been acting weird in general. You notice how he has his alarm go off every hour on the hour during the past few nights we've slept? It's like he's trying to avoid sleeping or something. And honestly, it's weirding me out, because the way he's acting is way out of left field." He looked back over at Cody to see if he was still there. Of course, given that the other teen hadn't moved in an hour, the look was unnecessary. "Go talk to him," he tacked on to the end of his thought.

_Couldn't have said please first?_ Heather thought to herself, frowning. "Why? He seems fine… ish. I mean, you're the only one who's bothered here." That was only half true however. It was apparent that Cody was a little out of sorts as of late, and she did have to remind him a few times to eat. However, she tried not to mother him too much. Cody already had a mother (who he was often annoyed with) and she did not want to intrude on that territory. "Jared, if you're so bothered, why don't you talk to him?"

"Like he's going to talk to me about his problems. If there was a bridge for that, he burned it a long time ago," Jared scoffed, brushing his pokemon's fur slightly rougher now, though the yellow canine didn't seem to notice. "He'll talk to you though. Go see if he's alright. As long as he's not planning to start sacrificing a Gogoat to Satan, I'll feel a little more comfortable, you know?"

"Yeah, sure Jared," she agreed, rolling her eyes. She was growing sick of her role in the group. Jared was the de facto leader, Cody was in charge of mapping where they would go, and she was the den mother slash mediator between the two boys. _There has to be some sexism going on here._ Slightly exasperated, she stood up and made her way over to Cody.

When she reached the place where Cody was sitting, she saw that he was counting (or so she figured because he was pointing into the valley with his index finger and with each bounce of his digit, he seemed to be mouthing a word; probably a number.) He had his field book on his lap and an open jar of peanut butter in his other hand with a spoon inside. His blond hair was slightly disheveled, but that wasn't what bothered her the most. She noticed the bags under his eyes that seemed darker than the day before. It looked as if he hadn't slept in days, but she knew that wasn't true since she had seen him sleeping in increments like Jared had noted. His Wartortle on the other hand was enjoying a nap, his body having retreated into his shell. She then turned her attention to what Cody was counting in the valley. Below them, a colony of Diglett and Dugtrio was swarming about, all squeaking wildly and fussing over the roots of the trees they were gnawing on. Mars was down there somewhere, but even if there weren't hundreds of Diglett below, she wouldn't be able to pick him out. They all really did look the same, except for the few moles who had a more blackish colored fur than the typical shade of brown.

"Are you doing alright?" she asked after a minute of waiting for him to say something first. He didn't answer her for another half a minute, and when he did, his response seemed off.

"Two-hundred and sixty-eight."

"Excuse me?" Heather asked, not sure of what to make of what she heard.

"There are 268 Diglett down there, give or take, and not including Mars," he responded, almost mechanically. "Also, there are about thirty some Dugtrio. I can't get an exact number, given how they're constantly moving and popping in and out of the ground, but that's how many there are. Recording it for the book when I send it in. I really hope they like this stuff, because it's a pain in the ass trying to count Diglett."

"Right…" Heather breathed. _This is so not normal._ "So… eating peanut butter straight from the jar, huh?"

"Sugar and protein," Cody replied as if Heather had asked why. "Don't judge."

"I'm not, but Cody… you look exhausted. When was the last time you've had a good night's sleep?" she asked with genuine concern.

"No idea," he answered, not bothering to think about it while he took a spoonful of peanut butter, following it with a swish of water from his canteen. "I just can't sleep well, you know? Naps here and there, but no sleep. No real sleep at least."

Heather didn't need to be a genius to figure out what was happening. "You dreamt of him again, didn't you? The Darkrai thing?"

"Yes, and it was very bad," he answered, though now, his voice sounded less mechanical and more humanlike. "Heather, I know you don't believe me, but this thing… I can't… you have no-"

"You've been keeping the dream journal like the doctor told you to, right?"

"Of course," he replied, pulling a notebook out of his pack and giving it to her. "You can read it if you want. Nothing personal or anything…" His eyes suddenly expanded in distress. "Except for the entries that involve women. Those-"

"Message received," Heather interrupted as she turned through the pages. Most of them were full of Cody's handwriting, most of which was completely illegible. However, she did like some of the pictures he drew in the corners that were brief depictions of his dreams. Her friend was hardly a great artist (at least when she compared his pictures to hers), but all of the pokemon sketches that he had been doing for the field book were definitely improving his basic ability with a pencil. She continued to thumb through the pages until she got to one of the last entries. She was about to read it when Cody snatched the notebook from her.

"Yeah, don't read that one either," he asked somewhat meekly now, stuffing the book back in with his supplies. "You wouldn't like that one."

"Cody, has the journal been helping you at all?" Heather asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Not… not really," he answered, resting his forehead in his hand. "I like it though. I never have good dreams anymore for the most part, but it's fun to write the neutral stuff down. Still, Darkrai-"

"Cody, this is a problem," Heather interrupted again, her face growing grave. "These dreams can't be healthy if they're killing your sleep patterns so much. If you can't sleep-"

"Oh, I can," he stated, "just not during the night for that long. That's when he comes. The day is safe though. But right now, I just have to watch Mars and-"

"Cody, Mars is fine. I'm worried about you!" Heather said, the firmness of her voice matching her grip. "When you saw that psychologist, did he say anything about medication?"

"Yes he did," Cody said dryly.

"And have you… you know… considered that?"

This caused Cody to straighten up his posture and give Heather a very dark look. "Heather," he began, his voice growing deadly serious and less shaky, "let me tell you something about medication for mental issues: it sucks. Not saying that it doesn't work, because I'm on pills right now that are doing me a great service of keeping me balanced… for the most part. But when you get a new medication in your system, there's a damn good chance that it won't do shit for you or it will make things worse. Even if you find a good medication, it can mess with your head for weeks until your body adjusts. When we're on the road like this, I don't have time to deal with new pills that may be a dead end. Even if I did, my mother would explode if she saw those pills pop up on our insurance billing. She wanted to pull me from this when I was visiting a psychologist, for Christ sake. If she saw me on a new med… let's not think about that. Either way, pills won't help because Darkrai isn't a disorder. He's a mystic thing or something. He's gonna keep coming. And you shouldn't be worried because his presence hasn't put us in danger. Not yet at least. In fact, that one time when Casper attacked us, Darkrai warned me in my sleep that he was coming. So really, he's been beneficial to you. Just…" He took a second to catch his breath. "Just believe me on this one, okay?"

Heather was speechless as she and Cody just stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. She had not expected Cody's knowledge on medication to be that in-depth (or at least more so than her own). But while for obvious reasons, she still didn't believe him on the Darkrai issue, she decided to change the topic. "So how is Mars doing?"

"I don't know," Cody replied, his voice having gone back to his normal. "Probably not well though. Diglett can be territorial of where they nest, but amongst themselves, they're rather peaceful. Mars is way too abnormally hyper aggressive for his own species, so the chances of him finding two other Diglett of the same gender that are willing to put up with him are kinda low. Plus, this isn't his colony, so I don't know how they'll take outside Diglett looking to merge."

"Huh," Heather replied, still somewhat confused on the whole thing. Apparently, Cody had been doing some research. "How does that work exactly?"

"It's a very strange system," he admitted. "Diglett on their own can be tough and have a strong connection with the earth, but compared to predators that hunt them, they're weak. Therefore, they hang out in groups, and in most cases, trios. Somewhere down the line of the species' evolution, individuals who hung out in trios began to have enhanced senses of exterior forces as well as each other's own thoughts. This somehow causes their bodies to release a hormone that causes them to grow bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster. They also seem to form an intense bond that leads them to eat, sleep, fight, and mate with others as one unit. But if one member of the Dugtrio is forcibly removed or is killed, the other two moles will die in a matter of days. It's like they form a platonic life bond with each other." Cody then looked back at the valley, and Heather could see his vision focusing. Perhaps he saw Mars? "The problem is, Diglett tend to make this bond with mature individuals who are like them mentally. Mars… is a bit too unique. I highly doubt that he will even find one other Diglett willing to bond with him. I think my best bet is to use the GTS to try to find similar individuals. However, since buying pokemon can be costly, trading seems more viable. I guess I have to catch something to trade... that's kind of a sad prospect, now that I think about it."

"You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?" Heather asked, knowing the answer already. _Of course he has._

"Got a lot of time for it," he replied coolly. "Anyway, I'm sorry about getting mad about the medication thing. I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate it. I just… well… You can go back to sunning yourself if you want. I'm not going to be much fun right now."

"Alright. Get some sleep soon. You look like you really need it," Heather told him, giving him a quick pat on the back before getting up and heading back to the picnic area, not knowing what to think. In the end, Cody seemed to be talking more, which was good, but he still didn't seem all that well. Whatever he had seen the other night in his dream must have spooked him a lot.

_Maybe this Darkrai thing is real,_ Heather thought to herself, but she immediately dismissed it. The idea of some dark being trying to harness control over one teenager to accomplish its goals… that sounded really stupid. Then again, ever since she started traveling with Cody, strange things had come and gone so quickly. _Darkrai or not, I hope he's alright. Because really, I can't imagine what this adventure would be like without him._

* * *

"She cares a lot. Sometimes I wish it was a little bit less since she doesn't believe me," Cody said to both himself and Bastion. _It is sort of lonely with nobody to talk to except my pokemon. _Just then, he felt somebody nudging scratching at his left pocket. At first, he thought it was Bastion trying to get to the kibble he was holding, but when he looked over, he saw that the turtle pokemon was still asleep in its shell.

"Mars," he sighed, assuming that the mole had snuck back for a snack, "you're supposed to be mingling with the other Diglett." Not bothering to look, he tried to push the infiltrator away with his left hand, but what he felt was unusual. Mars was furry, but his hair was rather short and slick for optimal digging. This _thing,_ whatever it was, has thicker, fluffier fur. He immediately looked down and gasped at what he saw. An Eevee had been clawing at his pocket. For a millisecond, he thought it was Sasha, trying to get food from him, but it only took a second to realize that this was not Heather's happy, bouncy Eevee. This Eevee… this Eevee was a completely different situation entirely. It had sad, tired eyes and as it tried to stand, it quivered freqently. Its fur was tangled and matted (and even gone on some parts of its body) and beneath the fur, several bloody gashes that had not healed properly were present. The pup seemed to be very thin too, as if it hadn't eaten in days.

_What the hell?_ Cody was not sure what to make of what he saw. A rare pokemon had suddenly appeared before him, but instead of wanting to catch it, the young trainer wanted to know what had happened to it. The little pokemon had come to steal food from his pocket, but now that it had been caught, it started to back away slowly. Even when Cody stretched out his hand for the tiny canine, the Eevee got frightened and broke into a run that only lasted for a few seconds before collapsing in a heap.

"Guys? We got a situation here!" Not waiting for them to call back, Cody ran over to where the Eevee had crashed. He knelt down next to it and touched its fur that wasn't matted. Gently, he touched its stomach and turned it onto its back. Its underbelly was also matted and he could now see that the Eevee was female. _What happened to you?_ Bastion had awoken and had joined Cody's side, curiously sniffing the injured pokemon. Cody give his partner a light push away. "Give me a bit of space," he asked gently. The Wartortle seemed to understand, sitting back a few feet.

"What's going- Oh my God…" Heather was caught between distraught and awe as she looked down at the helpless pup. By now, Jared had joined them. Upon seeing the Eevee, his eyes widened in horror as he got down to Cody's level.

"What the hell happened?" he asked in a panic. "Where did it come from?"

"I caught her trying to steal food from me," Cody explained, not taking his eyes off the little pup. "I tried to touch her but she got scared. Should we get her to a pokemon center?"

"I don't know, her injuries look really bad. I'm afraid that if we move her too far, we might hurt her even more. We could slowly carry her, but it might not give us enough time. I think we should take her over to the shade and spray her with a potion and give her a few berries. If we can stabilize her condition, maybe then we can safely carry her back to town."

"Or we could catch her in a pokeball and then carry her," Cody suggested rapidly. He was about to stand up and walk over to his pack to get a spare pokeball, but Jared stopped him with a firm grip to his shoulder.

"Cody…" he began to say, wearily, "I'm pretty sure she already belongs to somebody. Unless she's been out of her pokeball for at least a week, she'll still have the pokeball's 'claim' on her. We wouldn't be able to catch her."

"Okay, but how do you know she's already got a trainer?" he asked, touching the Eevee's fur tenderly. The fur that wasn't matted was still sort of soft, albeit unkempt.

"I'll explain later. For now, get her to the shade," Jared repeated his earlier thought.

* * *

The three teens picked a soft patch of grass in the shade to place the Eevee while they worked to heal her injuries, dividing the tasks between them. Cody had adamantly taken the role of applying the potion spray, bandages, and wrappings to the pup's open sores and gashes after cleaning them while Jared directed him and Heather thumbed through a copy of "Treating Pokemon: In the Wilderness", which contained a wealth of information on treating pokemon with basic injuries when pokemon centers were too far away. From time to time, she'd provide helpful bits to aid in the Eevee's recovery. Meanwhile, the other pokemon stood by, curious as to why their trainers were clustered around an unfamiliar pokemon. Jolteon and Sasha moved in closely to sniff the member of their species, but they were continually pushed back. Soon, the injured Eevee's condition was stabilizing and her breathing began to regulate once more. Jared was still anxious about carrying her to the center though.

"We need to let her wake up. When she can walk again, we'll take her there to get looked at," he said to Heather when she asked him when they'd take her there.

"Huh…" Cody a sighed as he stroked the unconscious Eevee's fur. She was a cute little pokemon, despite the ugly gashes on her body. He lightly touched her moist nose and then ran his finger up her long, pointy ears. "Jared, you said that this Eevee is probably owned by somebody. How can you tell?"

"There are a few telltale signs," he began, looking closely to inspect Cody's work, adjusting one of the bandages slightly. "First of all, wild Eevee, while they do exist, are pretty rare. There are only a few places in Skitrex in which you can catch an Eevee and this route isn't one of them. Second, her fur."

"What about it?" Heather asked, setting her book down. "She looks like a normal Eevee to me."

"She looks like a domesticated Eevee," Jared corrected. "Because of how uncommon they are in the wild, humans have been breeding Eevee in captivity for a long time and several traits have become commonplace among them, namely, their crest fur. Human bred Eevee almost always have white crest fur, save a few. Wild Eevee tend not to have white crest fur unless they have white fur altogether. This Eevee does have the white crest fur, so she's definitely not wild. But even without that, it's a pretty clear indication that she is owned from the fact that she came to steal food from you, Cody. A wild Eevee would wait until you were asleep. She's obviously used to humans. Finally, her injuries… They look human made."

"Human made… how can you tell? The gashes look like they could have come from anything," Cody commented, squinting some as he peered at the pokemon. Her injuries, while gruesome, didn't appear to have a specific origin to them.

"Cody, I've seen a lot," Jared lamented, his voice growing sad. "Before I left to challenge gyms, I did a lot of inner city battling and I've seen a lot of stuff. The bruises this pup has could come from anything, but the hair loss, the matting; those are typically signs of abuse. As for these gashes, a responsible trainer would have at least used a potion on them by now to at least heal them some. Plus, they look like whip marks, and not from something like a Vine Whip, due to lack of flora residue. Whoever trained this Eevee was definitely a whipper."

Cody felt his stomach churn some. He hadn't met any whip trainers, or whippers, as they were often called since starting his journey, but he knew that they existed. Back in the old days of training, before animal cruelty became taboo, many trainers used whips to spurn their pokemon by either hitting them or hitting near them. Over the years, as the act became viewed as cruel, the techniques of whipping began to die out. There were still a few trainers who incorporated whips into their style, but only for the cracking sound that whips made, which they would use to keep rhythm in battle or to use as non-verbal commands. But whipping pokemon like this… it was very frowned upon. He knew that many Team Rocket members used whips back in the group's heyday, but other than that…

"Some people are just sick…" Cody mumbled, petting the Eevee's head.

"Hey… um… no offense, but…" Heather began to stutter, trying to choose her words carefully. "I know that this is bad, but how is it that different from what you had to do with Antonia?"

If looks could kill, the look that Cody shot Heather the moment she asked that question could have caused mass extinction. Even if she couldn't see the difference or she was just playing devil's advocate, it still pissed him off.

"What are you insinuating?" he asked, his voice suddenly growing cold as he challenged his friend.

"Nothing, nothing, I just-"

"Allow me to explain the difference," Cody began, making an effort to neutralize his voice as he spoke. "I never hurt Antonia unprovoked. I only fought with her when she started fighting with me, and if I didn't, she could have injured me even more than just the scars and the broken arm she left me with. Even when I recalled her to her pokeball, she'd be ready to fight me the moment I let her out. When I did have to face her, I never hurt her like this. Nothing I ever did severely hurt her, and it was always in self-defense. Even when I did hurt her, I'd always nurse her injuries immediately afterwards. In the end, it's just a hallmark of her species, as Skarmory are brutal pokemon that value strength and brutality. There are even some records of Skarmory chicks that will kill their mothers in their sleep, simply out of desire to be dominant. The bottom line is, for the kind of pokemon that Antonia is, how I treated her wasn't abusive. However, this is a human bred Eevee, and human bred pokemon are loyal and typically loving towards their trainers. This Eevee likely did not behave in a way that would deserve this sort of beating from her trainer. Even if these wounds were made from another pokemon in a battle, the fact that they've been untreated like this… it's either cruel or irresponsible. Perhaps both."

"Yeah, I guess that makes some sense," she agreed, still sounding sort of unsure of what she had just heard. "So, what do we do with her when she wakes up? I mean, having somebody else's pokemon is typically considered illegal."

"Again, we take her to the center," Jared reiterated. "Then, we contact the authorities and fill out the paperwork that says that we found her alone and injured. If she's identified and a court finds that she has been abused, she'll be legally removed from her trainer's possession and put up for adoption. That's actually how I got my Croconaw back when he was a Totodile. Adopted him shortly after he was removed from a trainer back where I live."

Slowly, the Eevee opened her eyes for the first time in the last thirty minutes, but she didn't move much otherwise. She weakly licked Cody's finger before her eyes narrowed again in a daze. The young trainer put an oran berry next to her mouth, but she wouldn't eat. Sasha decided to take the opportunity to take the berry for herself, but Heather scooped her up in her arms before she was able to get to it.

"At least she's awake now," Heather commented, the reminder lightening the tension some. "I'm going to take Sasha over a ways so she doesn't keep bothering her. When she left, it was only Cody, Jared, the Eevee, and the rest of their pokemon in the shade, though most of them were wandering off, having grown bored of the new Eevee.

_Where is Antonia?_ Cody thought to himself. She had gone off to hunt an hour ago, but she still hadn't returned. Bastion, Elesa, and Colossal were meandering around while Mars was still hanging out with the wild Diglett nearby. The only pokemon he had contained at the moment was Cortez, for while the candle pokemon could spend time in the sun, he much preferred the night. His thoughts quickly shifted back to the Eevee that lay in the grass. Despite only knowing this Eevee for a short time, he felt a duty to take care of her. For once, his goals were not about training or improving, but healing. Regardless of why he felt this way, the situation provided a good side effect of temporarily distracting him from the nightmares. It was sort of grim, he thought, that something this morbid was what gave him peace.

That peace was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of boisterous laughter that seemed to haunt Cody with familiarity. Some people were approaching the spot where the group was situated. He turned his head to see three older teenage boys approaching Heather, their eyes flashing dangerously at her, though they didn't seem to be looking over at Cody and Jared yet. Their clothes looked dirty and it looked like they hadn't cleaned up in a while.

"Company," Cody muttered, nudging Jared to turn around and look, though he said nothing yet. He too wanted to observe, but he held a pokeball in his hand, ready to spring to action. All the while, Cody couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized the guys he saw, namely the one with the shaggy brown hair. His voice was also scarily familiar, but he couldn't put it with a specific memory yet.

"Hey cutie, you see my Eevee around here. Looks a lot like the one you got there," he asked in an almost snakelike voice as he pointed at Sasha. "'Cept mine is a bit… more worse for wear." The guys laughed coldly again. By now, Somnos was by his trainer's side, his body leaning towards these strange boys with caution.

"Uh… no, me and my friends haven't seen any other Eevee around here," she answered, her voice quivering with discomfort. She was obviously lying to defend the pup that the trio had found, but these all too familiar strangers did not buy her charade.

"Baby, why you gotta lie to me like that?" he chuckled, though his face just reeked of foul intent. "Just tell me the truth, because my pokemon here, he don't like liars either." From behind the dirty teen stepped a thin, mangy Houndoom, growling at his new target.

Cody felt immense chills run through his body on the appearance of the Houndoom. He remembered now. He knew _that_ Houndoom. He knew _that_ trainer. They were the ones who tried to mug him back when he was just starting out as a trainer. If it weren't for Frank's interference, he could have been severely injured that day or even worse. He had forgotten about them completely, thinking that they would have probably been arrested or would have gone home by now, but somehow, they were right in front of him again.

"I know these guys," Cody whispered to Jared. "It took me a second, but I remember now. They attacked me when I first started out."

Jared didn't even bother to ask for details. "Do you think they'll go away if we confront them? Thugs don't usually target groups." By now, the three guys were backed up, each of them with a pokeball in hand. Somnos and Sasha were standing between Heather and the Houndoom now, and the Poliwhirl alone could probably beat the underfed dog to a pulp. Still, if these guys had more pokemon, she could potentially be outnumbered.

"Only one way to find out," he answered. With that, he stood up and began to walk over to the antagonizing trio. "Hey, back the hell up. She's with us!" Jared said nothing as he walked behind Cody, though he was still ready to strike. However, the guys just laughed at this declaration.

"Ha, what is this guy supposed to be? Your boyfriend? I could break this kid in half if I wanted…" The shaggy haired teenager started to trail off for a moment until he was also hit with an old memory. "Holy shit. Hey guys, check it out. Remember this kid?"

"Huh… he does look familiar, but we mug lots of kids," one of the other thugs commented, but the 'leader' of the three didn't seem to notice the comment as he kept going.

"No, seriously, this is that kid we almost jumped up near Kindle, remember? If it weren't for that freak with the mohawk, ol' Houndoom here woulda burned this sucker to a crisp." He was still laughing, seemingly amused by the thought.

Cody continued to keep a determined face, not letting himself get scared by this boy and his troop. Things were different now. He had six pokemon with him and he had two companions, each with pokemon of their own. Still, these guys seemed a bit rough and crazy, so he knew better than to let his guard down. However, there seemed to be less of them this time. The other members of this gang must have been separated at some point. The numbers game did give him some solace there.

"We heard you ask about an Eevee," Cody said, still serious in his voice and expression. "We have no Eevee here other than hers, so I suggest you keep walking. We're not looking for any trouble, and we all have badges."

"Hah, is that supposed to scare us?" the leader laughed again. "I have a badge. I could have more if I had more pokemon that weren't a complete waste of skin." Suddenly, the smile fell from his face. "Besides, if you don't have my Eevee, than what is that?" He pointed at Cody's ankles. Everybody looked down to see that the Eevee had gotten to her feet again and she was cowering next to Cody.

"You can't have her," Cody breathed in a low voice. "We saw what you did to her, the gashes and all. She was almost dead."

"Oh boo hoo," the shaggy haired boy mocked. "What a weeping heart. The little bitch is useless, so I'm 'whipping' her into shape." He laughed at his own pun that even made his companions groan. "You're a trainer. You know how these things work. Now come over here, you little bitch." Upon hearing this order, the Eevee began to obediently walk over towards her trainer as her loyalty seemed to control her actions. But with a sudden jerk of the teen's hand to snatch her up, she yipped and ran back to where Cody stood.

"Not happening," Cody growled. By now, Bastion, Elesa, and Colossal had moved to his side, all waiting for orders. He was about to order Elesa to stomp these guys before Jared spoke up.

"We are taking her to the pokemon center and alerting the authorities," Jared stated in a monotone voice. "If they find you not guilty on this one, you'll get your Eevee back. If you attack us, we have eighteen pokemon between us. The best case is that you-"

"Shut up!" the boy shouted while instantaneously releasing another two pokemon: a Seviper with scars littering its body and a Beedrill with a few gashes on its carapace. "I want that Eevee. Cost me a lot to get my hands on her, so I'm not gonna drop her to some punks like you. We will stop at nothing to-"

"Dude, it's just an Eevee," one of the other two thugs said, his voice shaking. "Let's just go. These guys look kinda tough." Though the interrupting boy made a logical point, he was back handed by the Houndoom trainer for his comment.

"What a fucking wuss," the leader hissed. "Nobody steals from me!" With a fluid motion, he pulled a long, sharp hunting knife from his belt. "And these pricks are gonna suffer for trying. Houndoom, Flamethrower!"

"Douse it!" Heather shouted out as if it were a reflex. Her Poliwhirl's water attack prevented anybody from being burned, but the moment her pokemon returned fire, everything erupted into chaos within seconds. Every trainer suddenly had three or so pokemon on the field, and they were all dueling with another, trying to get to the opposing trainers. Elesa began to stomp on the Houndoom while Pupitar thrashed at the Seviper. Meanwhile, Jared's Jolteon and Croconaw were working in tandem to subdue a Golbat and a Raticate, while his Charmeleon easily handled a poorly trained Grimer. On Heather's end, Somnos had one of the guys in a headlock while Smaug and Sasha, small as they were, were holding a Parasect and a Bibarel at bay. All in all, as the first minute passed, the battle was turning out to be a curb stomp, given that Cody, Heather, and Jared had better trained, better disciplined pokemon on their side. However, this was no standard pokemon battle at all, as the targets were the trainers themselves.

"Stay by me," Cody asked Bastion, wary of any threat that could get too close to him. "Jared, why don't you just use Onix? He could destroy these guys in a heart-"

"Are you crazy!? Croconaw, flank the rat!" Jared asked in a shout alongside his commands. "We don't want to kill them! Besides, Onix could accidentally kill us too! He's just too damn- Charmeleon, keep a few feet of distance. You don't want to get poisoned!"

"Noted," Cody replied, just barely dodging the Beedrill's Twin Needle attack. But when Bastion left his side to Aqua Jet the giant bee away, the Houndoom saw his opportunity. Slipping past Elesa, he lunged at Cody and knocked him onto his back. In those few seconds, a new fear washed through every one of the young trainer's nerves as he looked up into the face of the snarling, crazed pokemon. But before the Houndoom could bite, a guardian angel with steel wings saved Cody again. Just in the nick of time, Antonia had returned, slamming her entire frame into the Houndoom's. The momentum knocked the dog away by twenty feet, but he did not give in. Rather, he released a line of fire at the steel bird, who flew straight through it with disregard for her own safety.

"Antonia, don't let him hit you with the fire. Circle around and spiral inwar- Augh!" Somebody had slugged him in the left eye. Again, he was on the ground looking up, this time at the trainer who was putting forth so much effort to retrieve the Eevee that ran away from him. Cody could see that the guy's clothes were lightly singed, as was his hair, which was sticking up. Elesa or Jolteon must have given him a mild shock at some point in the skirmish. Yet the guy was still laughing like a lunatic, even though he was hurt and his team was losing badly.

"You got balls, kid, I'll give you that." He held his knife out, ready to strike. His eyes gleamed with sick looking sadism. "I'm gonna wear them as a necklace after I'm done with you."

Frantically, Cody looked around for some support. However, all of his pokemon were now engaged in the fight, not sensing their trainer's peril. Heather and Jared were too caught up as well. He tried to call out to them, but the brown haired boy stomped on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to cough up blood. But when it looked as if nobody would come to help him, he felt a tiny figure move onto his chest. The injured Eevee had sat down on his chest, defiantly looking up at her abuser.

"Get the hell off of him," the teenager hissed, but the Eevee wouldn't budge. "I am your trainer. You're supposed to listen to me! To be loyal to me! What kind of poor excuse for a dog are you anyway? Houndoom would never do this shit!"

The Eevee began to growl now, standing up and arching her back. Even though she was still injured, she looked like she still had some fight in her to at least stand up to this monster that had beaten her.

"You know what? Fuck it, I'm going to cut you in fucking hal-" But as the boy dove with knife in hand, the Eevee sprang into action, delivering a headbutt to her trainer's head. He let out a grunt of pain as he clutched his head, taking a few steps back, and this gave enough space for Cody to move. Instantly, he got to his feet, grabbed the teen's shoulders, pulled him forward, and drove his knee as hard as possible into his crotch. A dirty tactic, yes, but at a time like this, he didn't care about fighting fair. The blow was enough to bring the violent young man to the floor and he curled into a ball, moaning in pain.

Cody looked around at the mess that had been made. The other two attackers, as well as their pokemon, had been knocked unconscious, though none of them seemed to be severely hurt. Jared and Heather seemed to be alright too, along with their pokemon, although Jolteon was limping some. The Raticate must have bit him at some point. But then Cody looked down and saw the little Eevee at his feet, trying to stand back up again. He knelt to scoop her into his arms, careful not to hurt her anymore. While he knelt, he gave the returning Bastion a pat on the head, whispering out a thanks to him. As he stood up, Elesa gently nuzzled her trainer's chest while Colossal leaned against him slightly. However, the tender moment was broken the moment Antonia ran to her trainer's side.

"Skreeeeeeeeee!" she screamed as she approached, stopping in front of the shaggy haired trainer who had led the attack. Despite being covered in burns, she was still full of energy and ready to fight, or in this case, kill something. She was about to jab her sharp beak into the fallen trainer's head, but Cody rushed to her side to stop her, throwing his free arm around her neck.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's alright baby, everything is alright," he cooed into her ear. Slowly but surely, the Skarmory's temper seemed to cool down until there was a strange calmness in her normally fierce eyes. She leaned her neck over his shoulder and gave out low caws as if she was expressing her gratefulness that her trainer was okay. Looking up from this display, Cody caught Heather's eye and he smiled at her. "You wanted to know the difference between me and this asshole?" he asked, referring to the guy who he had just kneed in the balls. "This is it."

* * *

The next few hours were a whirlwind of events. The wild teens were brought in by the police for detainment, their pokemon were healed before being detained as well, and then Cody, Heather, and Jared were questioned individually. Because of how common trainer-on-trainer crime was, it was imperative that the authorities got the information they needed. Now, Heather and Jared stood in the hall, finishing up their conversation with the sheriff of the little town they were in.

"Everything checks out," the graying man told them. Despite being in his mid-fifties, the officer was well built and slightly intimidating, though his voice was kind. "These guys you fought with, they've been causing trouble all over. Wanted for various things like theft, arson, assault, the list goes on. Though we will be having hearings for all of these crimes, the ones regarding their pokemon abuse will be this Friday. I know that you trainers like to keep on the road, but can you be here to testify against them for what you have seen regarding their treatment of the Eevee as well as the others?"

"Absolutely," Jared answered immediately. Heather was somewhat surprised by her boyfriend's response, being that he wanted to keep a tight travel schedule. However, situations such as this one superseded his other priorities.

"Good," the man answered, though he looked a bit saddened. "These boys… I can't help but pity them a little. They're all orphaned with nobody to speak to them. By the looks of their records things, they've been on the road for a while. But they will still be punished appropriately. Odds are, they'll have their trainer's licenses suspended or taken away permanently, as well as their pokemon. We'll try to find homes for some of them, but others, like that Houndoom, may have to be put down. Way too aggressive and sick, that one. It actually tried to kill one of the doctors. It's not always easy, but things like that have to be done sometimes."

"Yeah… it's a shame," Jared mourned slightly, keeping his composure.

"Anyway, I have paperwork to fill out. You kids stay safe and if you can help it in the future, avoid playing hero. It's a nasty business."

When the officer left, the two of them returned to the inner halls of the pokemon center. They were given access to the back rooms, due to persistent questioning about the Eevee they saved, and this allowed them to visit the pup when she wasn't being operated on. They looked through the glass of the one room to see the little pup sleeping, its body covered in fresh bandages and attached to several tubes. Cody sat in a chair that he had pulled up next to the bed, but his head was resting on the bed as he slept. Meanwhile, his other hand lay gently on the Eevee's side. It was probably the most relaxed he had looked in days.

"You know, he may be crazy, but you're right, Heather. He does have a good heart at least," Jared said, his cheeks blushing somewhat at his admittance.

"I know I'm right," she teased, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "But why did the Eevee end up fighting with us? Aren't they extremely loyal to their trainers, even the bad ones?"

"Yes, but this one must have had a little bit of spirit left," Jared replied. "These guys were probably avoiding pokemon centers because the police can track people through them. Because of this avoidance, the Eevee would have to rely on them for care, creating a sort of learned helplessness if you will. They were probably getting really close to breaking her, but when she ran away out of desperation and then we helped her, she received that bit of tender kindness that she had been lacking. Maybe that's why she stayed with us? Because we were a better source? It's hard to say. I'm no psychologist."

"Fair enough," Heather responded softly. "The doctor said that they could fix her up. Do you think she'll be able to battle again?"

"I don't know," Jared answered sadly, leaning against the glass as he peered inward. "Sometimes, abused pokemon can't battle again once their physical wounds are healed up. It depends on the individual pokemon and the care that they receive. Maybe this one will come through. Maybe she won't. She might be better off just being somebody's pet in a comfortable setting where she won't get hurt again."

"I see. Maybe one of us should adopt her. You know, if that guy does lose custody," she suggested.

"He will, no doubt," Jared answered her, "and I already know who's going to be first in line." He looked in at Cody, who may as well have been dead at the moment, he was so asleep. "We have comfy beds tonight, but he fell asleep by her side. Besides, you already have an Eevee and I have a Jolteon. No need getting greedy, you know?"

"True, true," Heather replied. She looked back at Cody, still asleep. He hadn't even washed up yet, his hair was a wreck, and he had a huge black eye where he was punched. However, she could have sworn she saw him smiling slightly, even while asleep.

"I'm going to bed. You coming?" Jared asked.

"Yeah, I'll be with you in a minute, okay?"

"Sure," he answered. When Jared left through the hallway, Heather opened the door to the room where Cody and the Eevee were and slipped in. Once at bedside, she petted the Eevee's head before moving her hand to Cody's shoulder and then his hair. Earlier that day, he seemed completely paranoid about the Darkrai thing, but now, he was getting the rest that he desperately needed. She was glad that Jared was beginning to see things her way again; that Cody was a good guy, willing to do a simple thing such as sacrifice the comfort of a bed in order to see the Eevee's recovery through. Ever since finding the pup, he never left her side, even requesting that his questioning be done by her bedside. What he had done today warmed her heart and knowing how he cared for his other pokemon, she knew that he would love this Eevee too.

She knelt down by his side and whispered into his ear, "sweet dreams," before giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. He didn't respond, being in a deep slumber, but in Heather's opinion, that was probably for the best. Her cheeks reddened slightly after the kiss, but she couldn't help but smile. She had just created another secret, and while she knew that she would be a hypocrite for doing so, she would keep it for herself. For something so simple and harmless, what she had done felt dangerous and naughty, two feelings that made her skin tingle. It was just a little something that only she would know about… or so she thought.

Jared had led her to believe that he was leaving, but once he was out of her sight, he came back to spy on what she would do. Peeking in through the glass window into the small operating room, he saw Heather kiss Cody. Because it was just a kiss on the cheek, the action was platonic enough, but the way her cheeks flushed when she did it… he hadn't seen her blush like that in quite some time since he started dating her. Suddenly, he felt as though his suspicions were justified. Slowly, he turned around and walked down the hall again, and while he didn't show it, that twinge of jealousy inside his heart was doubling in size.


	34. Chapter 34: Red vs Blue

**Just a heads up, this chapter contains my first 6 vs. 6 pokémon battle. I'm experimenting with this because writing 6 vs. 6 is a long process. I'm probably going to save fights of this length for gym leaders in the future, but one good thing about this is that you do get to see all of Cody's pokémon. As he continues to collect more, it's going to be a process trying to give them all ample screen time.**

**Review Response:**

_I'm starting to wonder if the universe hates Cody._

**If the universe loved him, the story would be boring and he would be a Marty Stu. And nobody likes that.**

_Awesome story but can you plzzzz make it more humorous...?_

**Eh… thanks, but I'm not sure how to respond to this. This isn't a humor story (though I add it when I can.) If you want humor, read SONIC HIGH SCHOOL. No seriously, when you're all done with this chapter, go read SONIC HIGH SCHOOL by DarkDoomFireMaster. It is probably the most hilarious thing I have ever read on this site. It makes My Immortal look bland by comparison in the later chapters.**

**Thanks to Magikarp Master for the editing. And now…**

* * *

**Cody: **Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Cortez (Litwick), Eevee

**Heather: **Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Gloom), Smaug (Trapinch), Sasha (Eevee)

**Jared: **Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Jolteon, Gastly, Bagon

**Chapter 34: Red vs. Blue**

Jared had correctly predicted what would happen to the three trainers that had attacked Heather, Cody, and him. The multiple charges that were brought against them in court had already landed them in the JJC, and two of them had their licenses taken away permanently, while the third (one of the followers) had his suspended, given that he seemed to take slightly better care of his pokémon. While the three trainers were waiting to be tried for other criminal acts that they had committed, their pokémon were taken from them and put up for adoption, save a few (such as the Houndoom) who were sentenced to be destroyed, due to their ferociously feral and likely irreversible behavior.

Again, just like Jared had foreseen, Cody was very forward about adopting the Eevee, who seemed to have received more abuse than her fellow pokémon. After pestering the pokémon adoption services, receiving a background check, filling out some paperwork, and paying a small fee, the Eevee pup was his. However, this adoption brought on a whole onslaught of other complications. The Eevee, while learning to view Cody as her protector quite quickly, was still anxious around other people or pokémon, becoming terrified in their presence. He continued to expose his new pokémon to others in order for her fear to lessen, but judging by what the nurses had told him, there was a good chance that this Eevee may not be a good candidate for battling in the future, given her anxiety and history of abuse. The young trainer had accepted that condition early on though, especially after he got in touch with the breeder from whom the Eevee was stolen from. After explaining the situation and offering to pay the man the price that the Eevee was worth at the time she was stolen, the man refused. _"You ain't the thief, kid. And I'm not one either. Not gonna make you pay money for damaged goods."_ The way that that was phrased bothered Cody, but he decided not to question the man's views on his business regarding pokémon.

Some time had passed, and the trio of trainers was deep within the woods again, slowly making their way north to Graywood, the city of trees. There, the next badge awaited in a gym of grass and bug trainers. Until then, the journey was full of endless hikes and the intentional crossing of paths with Diglett colonies. Still, Mars just couldn't find a suitable pair of Diglett to join with him, making these visits very frustrating. On top of that, Cody noticed that Jared seemed a bit frustrated and moody as well, and for once, that wasn't his fault. Maybe something was going on between Heather and him? _It's none of my business,_ he thought to himself multiple times. He had other things on his mind, such as the memories of Darkrai's last major appearance, prepping for the next gym and caring for the Eevee pup. Right now, she was walking by his side, looking a lot healthier than she had a few weeks ago, even though the scars that she wore were more much more visible after her fur was cut short for easy treatment. She was also on a body leash now, due to her flighty behavior, but she did not seem to mind it (it attached to her back instead of her neck in order to reduce the strain.)

"Do you have any names for her yet?" Heather asked, breaking the silence that had been dwelling among the group for about an hour as they made their way to the next little town (which was now within minutes away.)

"I don't know… I'm trying to think of something that isn't a human name. I named my last three pokemon after people, so I need to switch it up a bit," Cody answered looking down at the pup that cautiously walked by his side. _I wonder if she was named before…_ It was an unwritten rule among trainers that re-naming a pokémon that one received as a gift or in a trade was a big no-no because the original name carried the memory of the trainer before. However, Cody decided that a new name would probably benefit the Eevee in that regard. "You have any suggestions, Jared?"

"You're asking the wrong guy," Jared mumbled back, not even looking over. "I don't know… Lucky?"

"Yeah, if all else fails, we'll come back to that one, Cody replied in a slightly humored tone. As much as he wanted to poke the bear, he decided against it for the time being. Given how Jared had seemed a bit stressed as of late, he decided to keep his distance. Still in a good mood though, he smiled at what he saw. "Check it out, we're here!"

Banyen was a tiny town, but it was bigger than a lot of the burgs that the group reached, out in the sticks. It was also lovely to look at, though that may have been because the evening twilight cast a beautiful shade of red onto the buildings.

"Let's get to the pokémon center," Jared urged.

"Eh, why bother?" Cody muttered in response. They had just left another town that very morning and after a day of traveling, they only encountered one trainer, which Heather battled. Cody felt bad for his team, since other than their daily exercises, his pokémon hadn't gotten a chance to really stretch their legs. He felt even worse for Elesa, who he had deposited and transferred back home while he had his seventh pokémon with him. Every time he reached a PC, he would alternate between which pokémon he had back at home (though he typically cycled between Elesa, Cortez, and Mars when they were not passing though Diglett colony locations.) When at home, his pokémon would relax in his wooded backyard, which had enough food for them and enough comfortable places to rest. His father was ecstatic about this change, happy to see new, youthful pokémon about. His mother was somewhat less receptive, but she did admit that she loved Elesa, saying that the young Zebstrika was a beautiful pokémon to look at. She was not as thrilled about Cortez though, who loved to spook her (though all of his pranks were relatively harmless.)

"We still need to check if they have any lodging this evening. Even though this town seems a bit slow, they may already be filled up," Jared reminded him. The three trainers entered the pokémon center where Heather decided to let her pokémon get a quick check-up while Jared inquired about bed space. Noting that he had a bit of time to spare, Cody decided that it was a good time to catch up with grooming his team. He opened up Bastion's ball and smiled as he greeted his first pokémon.

The Wartortle had grown quite a bit since evolving, though his shell was pretty lean. A doctor had told him that this was because Bastion was a freshwater variant of the Squirtle line. In comparison with their cousins that lived in oceans, freshwater Squirtle and their evolutions were leaner and faster, which were better for travel on land, compared with their bulkier cousins who rarely left the water at all except to lay eggs. Even so, Bastion was still one of Cody's best tanks, able to absorb quite a bit of damage before dropping, though not to the same extent as Colossal. After letting the turtle nuzzle him some, the young trainer took out a brush and began to run it through the turtle's long, fluffy ears and his several fluffy tails while the Wartortle laid his head on Cody's knee, enjoying the brushing. Meanwhile, the Eevee moved forward from Cody's lap to sniff the turtle, though she stood at the ready to run. But now that she actually would approach Cody's other pokémon, he figured this was a nice advance in her healing. For the time being, this was a nice improvement. It was the simple moments such as these that gave Cody much pleasure and nothing could possibly ruin this quiet moment.

"STORM! We meet again!"

_I stand corrected._ Cody looked up from the grooming to see none other than his best friend, Laurence. The two hadn't seen each other in nearly seven months since Tempest Valley and due to the poor cellphone reception in the wilderness, their general communication was limited to the occasional phone call and internet message. Since then, Cody could see several noticeable changes in his friend's appearance, making him almost unrecognizable. At first glance, Cody noticed that Laurence had grown a few inches, reaching 5'11" or so and he was growing his light brown hair out to a much longer length than usual. Under his jacket, he wore a light blue t-shirt with the words "Jacobson Winner" printed on it in bright orange letters. _Must have won a tourney there or something_, Cody thought to himself. And like always, his friend was wearing that cocky expression on his face as if he was the best trainer in Skitrex. _I'll have to prove otherwise…_ Still, coincidental as it was that he'd bump into his friend this far away from home, he was glad that he did.

"Laurence," Cody replied, setting the Eevee on the couch and standing up. "It's been too long." The younger boy definitely lacked the energy that his friend had, but Laurence did not seem to care. He rushed forward and gave Cody a strong, one-armed hug, patting him on the back some. "Wow, you got taller."

"So did you, kiddo," Laurence laughed heartily. He then looked down at Bastion. "And look at you! A Wartortle now. You're growing up so fast, buddy." He stroked the Wartortle's ear and the turtle seemed to like the attention. Cody figured that there was no way Bastion would remember Laurence after the amount of time that had passed, but even so, his pokémon seemed to like him anyway. "And who is this?" he asked while looking over at the Eevee. He took a step towards her, but at the movement, the little pup cowered in fear, leaving the outgoing teen slightly surprised. "Whoa, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it so much," Cody reassured him, reaching over to give the pup a pat on the head. "She's a rescue, kinda. Abused by her last trainer and still kinda skittish."

"Huh, that's rough," Laurence lamented, his voice calming slightly. "You're a good guy for taking her in."

"I kinda had to," Cody admitted sheepishly, though he smiled at his newest pokémon. "So how are you? What you up to these days?"

"You know, same ol' same ol'," the older boy answered casually. "Heading out to Graywood for the Forest Badge and all. Been prepping for double battles for a bit for that, given how you gotta pair with another trainer of your tier. Gotta have synergy and what not, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Cody agreed with him. An idea instantly struck him. "Dude, come with us and battle with me. You and me as a team could take that badge with no problem." His original plan was to battle with Heather, but seeing as how they had not talked about the matter yet, he didn't feel bad asking Laurence first,

Laurence seemed to like the idea, but his eyes softened some upon hearing it. "That would be the coolest thing, but I can't. You see, I kinda promised somebody else right now that we'd team at Graywood."

Cody noticed that Laurence had broken eye contact with him, now staring past him, so he turned his head to look at what his friend was eyeing. It was a girl who looked about Laurence's age, wearing a gray tank top and an even grayer pair of cargo pants. Her face was quite pretty, but Cody couldn't focus on that, given some of her other features, the most blatant being her hair… or lack thereof. The girl's head was completely shaved and she had several of piercings on her ears, lips, and nose. _Laurence did always dig the "unique" ones,_ Cody thought to himself. When noticing that she was being watched, the girl smiled and waved hello. _Huh. She does have pretty teeth, I'll give her that. I wonder why he never mentioned her over the phone. _ "So… she your girlfriend?"

"Cody, Cody, Cody, always rushing to put a label on everything," Laurence chided in a joking manner. "I met her a month ago, and let's just say that me and her… we know each other _very_ well."

"Huh, okay," Cody answered, getting the picture. "Is she good?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Laurence chuckled lightly. "She does this amazing thing with her tongue tha-"

"I meant her training," Cody interrupted, rolling his eyes. The last thing he wanted to hear about was how Laurence was getting more action than him.

"Hell yeah, she'd kick your ass," he snorted. "So, when do I get to see-"

"Hey Laurence!" Heather chimed in as she and Jared approached the two boys. "It's good to see you again."

"Nice to see you too, hon," Laurence answered, giving her a quick hug. "Keeping this one in line, I hope?" he asked, looking over at Cody again.

"What else is new?" she giggled in response. "Anyway this is,"

"Wait, wait, let me guess. You're Jared," Laurence said, extending his hand for a shake. "Cody has told me all about you."

"Really now? What did he say?" Jared asked bluntly.

Cody felt his face go white. _Please, for once, don't say anything stupid._

"That you're a very talented trainer," Laurence complemented, causing Cody to mentally sigh in relief. "I believe it too. Saw you win against Eagle back at Tempest. We should battle sometime."

"Yes, well… thank you," Jared replied, shaking his hand, smiling a little bit, though still unsold on Laurence himself.

"So…" Cody's friend began again, spinning around to face him. "When do I get to see this Skarmory of yours? Wait, no, don't just show me. Battle me. There's a battle plot right outside.

Immediately, Cody nodded his head in agreement. He had been itching to battle all day, and now he had the chance. "Sure. Just let me get to the PC. I have to withdraw a pokémon." As his friend rushed towards the door and he went to the PC while pulling out his phone to alert whoever was home to send him Elesa, he could hear Jared muttering to Heather about them.

"_No wonder Cody likes this guy. He's like his evolved form."_

"_Oh Jared, just…"_

It was no time to care about Jared's petty remarks. This time, he knew he could beat Laurence.

* * *

"Stomp him," Laurence's 'friend' ordered as she seductively leaned on his shoulder. The teenage boy smiled confidently.

"What, this noob? Piece of cake. Give me three minutes," Laurence laughed. Cody smiled at the joke, but he didn't respond to it otherwise. Even though Laurence was his friend, he was still taking this upcoming battle very seriously. It was sort of hard to concentrate though as the twilight was shining right at him, tinting his shirt to a reddish color.

"So how are we doing this?" Cody questioned. "And what's the wager?"

"Let's go all out," Laurence suggested. "All six pokémon, no switches, and one hundred dollars on the line. Too much pressure?"

"Hardly," Cody replied, grinning. Trainers rarely engaged in full six on six battles, given that while on the road, any trainer would have a pokémon that was nursing a nagging injury from a previous encounter, and often, it was safer not to use every pokémon, due to a trainer's reliance on them to survive. But since there was a pokémon center not thirty feet away, they knew they could make an exception. Cody patted Bastion on the head, signaling him that he'd be up first, but before he could give the order, an explosion of light burst from his belt.

"Wiek weik!" Mars squeaked as he entered the field uninvited.

"Ha, this again?" Laurence chuckled. "We'll play fair. I'll pick somebody at random." The last time this had happened, Cody had the advantage, as Laurence had picked a pokémon that Mars was strong against. This time though, the odds were not in his favor, as the pokémon his friend sent out was a green looking simian with wild fur and a hairdo that reminded Cody of a giant brocoli stalk.

"Meet Asparagus," Laurence introduced. "And trust me, he's just as nasty as the food I named him after. Seed Bomb!" Letting out a crazed shriek, the monkey produced a seed bomb in each hand and hurled them at the mole pokémon. The attack was obvious though and Mars quickly dug underground, barely dodging the small flora explosions. Reappearing behind the grass pokémon, the Diglett hurled a ball of mud at the back of the monkey's head. It was a direct hit, but the attack only seemed to annoy Asparagus, as he grunted at the ineffective blow.

"He's got typing on you. Slow him down with a Bulldoze and keep low," Cody ordered. Mars burrow-charged the Simisage, a wave of dirt trailing him. Fast as Mars was, the Simisage was faster, leaping over the wave with little difficulty before throwing two more bombs at the mole. Cody cringed as his pokémon barely dodged the blows. Mars was still a glass cannon after all, and just one of those seed bombs would be enough to put him down for the count. "Magnitude, and be ready to dig!" The mole made the earth shake, throwing the Simisage off balance, but he quickly recovered and launched another Seed Bomb at the Diglett. As expected, Mars went underground again, reappearing right behind Asparagus again and smacking him in the legs with a well-placed Bulldoze. Mars must have tweaked the monkey's knee, as the Simisage seemed to favor his left leg as he pulled himself back up. _Perfect. Target acquired. _"Dig! Take him off balance!"

"Now's your chance! Absorb!" Laurence ordered confidently. Just as Mars popped up under the Simisage, the bigger pokemon grabbed the mole's head with lightning fast reflexes. He shrieked gleefully as he drained the Diglett's energy, leaving the mole dazed and confused. Cody called out to his pokémon, but it didn't matter. By Laurence's command, his pokémon leapt into the air and threw two seed bombs at the Diglett. The two direct hits left Cody's pokemon unable to battle. And much to his dismay, he saw that the Simisage's limp was lessened. The Absorb attack worked greatly in his favor.

"You let your guard down there, Cody," Laurence sighed, shaking his head slightly, though the smile didn't leave his face. "Letting a ground pokemon get that close to a grass type is bad news."

"Yeah, yeah." _Please don't lecture me right now. _He returned Mars to his ball, giving him words of praise for his efforts. "One pokemon down doesn't give you the win here," he reminded his friend. "And I highly doubt that your Simisage can defeat a fire pokemon like…" He opened up his next pokeball, and his Litwick flew out, giggling maniacally. "Cortez."

"Oh really?" Laurence laughed, seemingly unconcerned. "Work Up!" At the direction, the Simisage began jumping up in down, working himself into a frenzy. From what Cody remembered, the Work Up tactic was commonly used by pokémon with bursting energy to boost them over the top to a point of pure frenzy. Though this typically caused them to let their guard down, a level headed trainer could easily make up for the loss.

"Cortez, focus yourself and use Will-o-Wisp!" Cody ordered coolly. Still laughing like a mad man, Cortex produced a blue flame that he directed towards the grass monkey. By now though, the simian was very agitated, and he dodged the flame easily before throwing two seed bombs at his foe, who lazily avoided them. Even if they had hit, they would have done little. "Try an Ember!"

"Mud Bomb!" Laurence ordered, and within a second, the monkey had hurled a brown blob at Cortez, who managed to fly out of the way while shooting his own attack.

_Where did he even get the mud? I never saw him pick it up… unless… oh God, I hope not._ "Cortez, he's too fast! Trap him in a Fire Spin!" Cortez shot a spinning spiral of fire at the monkey, but again, he was not fast enough to hit the target, as the Simisage had backed up enough to leap over the flames if he wished.

"Acrobatics!"

"Night Shade!"

Just before the monkey landed his attack, Cortez had engulfed him in a Night Shade in midair, effectively slowing Asparagus's movement to a crawl. As the monkey slowly fell, Cortez flew in with a Flame Burst, effectively singeing his foes fur. When the monkey fell from the shade, his fur was still burning slightly, but he shook off the flames and began hurling seed bombs again, all of which Cortez dodged easily while he shot embers. This went on for a minute, but it was obvious that Asparagus was getting sloppy with his attacks as the burns he suffered continued to worsen.

"Now, Hex!" Cody ordered. The candle pokémon began to sing a cryptic chant and as a strange dark sphere appeared around the Simisage, his burns intensified. Letting out a shriek of pain, the monkey provided an easy target for Cortez, who swooped in with another Ember. This ended the match-up.

"Well now…" Laurence replied, smiling. "We're going to play that game? The simple 'match type?'" Once returning Asparagus, he produced another pokeball. "Because I can role with that. Shelly, playtime!" The pokeball opened, showing the Gastrodon that Cody originally knew as a Shellos months back. She was mature in form, her underbelly and neck colored in a deep purple, matching well with her soft, dark-gray, rigid shell. Her face was kind of creepy looking with white, soulless-looking eyes and topped with two pointy horns that stuck straight up.

_Great, Cortez is gonna have his work cut out for him._ "Light her up with a Will-o-wisp!"

"Water Pulse." The cool order was all that Shelly needed to douse the blue flame before it even got close. "Cody," Laurence sighed, "you can do better than that. Mud Slap."

"Dodge left and use Smog!" Cortez flew leftward at a downward angle and released a poisonous gas from his mouth that collided with the sea slug's gooey body. Cody new little about the Shellos line, but he did know that they drank through their skin. It was likely that they could get poisoned by being hit by foul gasses with their body as well. It seemed to work well enough, as the Gastrodon appeared to sway in an ill manor. "Now Night Shade!" The black void covered a portion of the field again, surrounding Shelly entirely. Still sick from the smog, she quivered in pain as Cortez had taken control of the battle, giggling gleefully at his accomplishments. "Now, Fire Spin!"

"Mirror Coat," Laurence responded, as if he were waiting for the correct moment to strike. Even though she was ill with minor poisoning and trapped in a Night Shade, her skin glowed blue for a second right before the orange flames touched her. Once touching her skin, the flames shot back at the attacker, now colored blue like her skin. When they hit Cortez, the little ghost pokémon let out a scream. Rather than absorbing the fire like he normally did, this reflected fire seemed to have properties that he could not take in. With his focus broken, the Night Shade fell and the slug was free again. "Water Pulse!" Like Mars before him, Cortez was a glass cannon, holding a variety of attacks in his arsenal but falling to one big attack that was super-effective. Taking the direct hit of a Water Pulse as Litwick from a mature Gastrodon would only end in a fainted Litwick, and this time proved no different.

"Good effort," Cody encouraged after returning the ghost, who was still smiling, even after fainting. "Good show thus far, but those two pokémon were the lightweights of my team," Cody said cockily. In a battle like this, he needed any psychological advantage he could get. "Can you handle the next division?" Looking at the Gastrodon, two words came to mind. _Target practice._ "Time to grace the stage, Antonia!" When entering the battle plot, the beautiful bird of steel let out her signature screech. Most of the people surrounding the plot covered their ears, but Laurence gazed at her in wonder.

"Wow, she's prettier in person," he said in low awe. "But this isn't a beauty pageant. Shelly, Mud Bomb to the wings."

"Slash and move into an Agility," Cody ordered urgently. Mud in the wings was always bad news for a pokémon, but Antonia knew that as she used her wings to cut through the mud balls that were thrown at her before using them to slash at the sea slug. Her agility picked up, allowing her to avoid more attacks that were launched at her. This continued briefly before Laurence wised up and ordered his pokémon to use a Water Pulse instead. This time, Shelly managed to hit her target, knocking Antonia backwards, though she wasn't knocked down. When the Gastrodon tried to take this opportunity to make an approach, Antonia released metal spikes from under her wings all over the field, halting the slug in place. If she kept going, the spikes would get caught on her underside, causing her to lose energy via attrition.

"Mud Slap!" Laurence ordered. The mud blot smacked Antonia in the face, but she was hardly fazed, given how keen her vision was. Flying at her top speed, she concentrated her iron to the wings before striking the Gastrodon in the neck with her steely appendages. This wasn't enough to put the bulky Gastrodon down, but it did stun her enough to give Antonia an opening for an unopposed fury attack. Again and again, she struck the slug with her beak, wings, and talons before the slug slumped.

"Well done. She is quite the specimen," Laurence complimented, his next pokémon already in hand after returning the previous. "But you know, the higher they fly, the harder they fall."

"I don't think that's how it goes," Cody chuckled, already mentally preparing for his next foe. Knowing Laurence, he would probably send in Bolt or that Numel he said he caught a few months back. He hoped it was the latter, only since while Antonia was weak to fire, she could handle it well. Electricity was a different story entirely.

"Then you can quote me on that," his friend said, grinning. "Lady Blaise, you know what to do." His third pokémon, the big orange camel with volcano-like humps that appeared on the field and her appearance left Cody in silence. The Numel that Laurence had told him about had evolved and while she was not fully grown (at about four feet tall) there was something about the Camerupt that scared him. It had to be her eyes. Those focused, angry eyes.

"She evolved two weeks ago. When I found her as a Numel, I saw so much potential. Now, she's a machine, trumping pokémon left and right. Next to Flex, she's my strongest right now." Laurence clenched his fist, grinning widely. "And now, she will win another fight. Blaise, light her up." The Camerupt let out a deep noise, between a grunt and a roar, and began to spray a stream of fire up at the steel bird from her mouth. Antonia easily dodged the fire before flying in for a slash at the camel's sides. Blaise howled in pain, but the pained noise was angry and seemed to empower her as she shot another burst of fire at Antonia. This time, she hit the Skarmory's right wing, and the bird screeched as she struggled to keep airborne. Once she was low enough, Laurence ordered a Flame Charge of his pokémon. Blaise wasn't particularly fast, but the charge helped her pick up speed. Ignoring the spikes that stuck to her feet, she leapt into a Take Down, driving her sturdy head into Antonia's armor. This brought Antonia down to earth.

"Baby, I need you to get into the air and use Air Cutter. Keep your distance!" Antonia managed to fly again, whilst absorbing more of the flames before slashing the air at rapid speed. The razor-like air blasts she created cut through the flames that the Camerupt spit out, but they barely impacted the camel's tough skin. She upped her ante with a Whirlwind that picked up many of the remaining spikes.

"Ground yourself!" Laurence ordered. His Camerupt braced herself for the spiky whirlwind that approached, not being pushed, but being hit by many of the spikes that drove into her thick skin. All the while, Antonia left her continual circling that fed the whirlwind with more air and backed up to blow more wind in it from a distance. Keeping a whirlwind going was hard work, but her little tornado was holding Blaise at bay, but neither she nor Cody noticed the volcanic humps on the camel's back tilt their aim towards the Skarmory. "Now! Fire!"

"Wait, wha-"

"HOAH HO!" the camel roared as she shot two balls of fire, one from each hump, at Antonia. They both hit, blasting her backwards before she crashed into the ground again. When she stood up again, parts of her metal armor were still burning and she was unable to get back into the air.

"Antonia, you can do this! Just don't get hit and get her with a Steel Wing!" Cody told his pokémon, though he could see the end of this match in sight.

"Rock Slide!" Laurence yelled out. With a stomp of her two front feet, she pulled three medium sized boulders out of the earth. When she charged Antonia, the bird ran at her as well, cutting through the first rock with her iron wing as if the boulder was made of butter. But this slowed her down and left her vulnerable to the Camerupt's second Take Down. That was enough to finally bring the iron maiden to her knees, as the repeated fire attacks and physical traumas were too much for her.

Cody returned Antonia to his pokeball, sighing in response to this loss. Ever since that battle with Hornsby, his Skarmory had been a force to be reckoned with. How sad it was now to see her dispatched after putting so much effort into the fight. "You did well. Rest up," he whispered. Looking from his pokeball to Bastion, he gave a nod, and his first pokémon entered the field to face the much bigger Camerupt. "Double weakness," Cody stated, smirking.

"You and I both know that that's not the end all," Laurence replied, returning the smile. "Blaise, light him up."

"Water Gun!" The Wartortle's water attack easily doused the incoming flames, but when the powerful stream hit Blaise's face, she didn't seem fazed at all. Again, she launched balls of fire that exploded at impact, but Bastion was too quick. He dodged each ball before shifting to the side and releasing a Bubblebeam straight into the Camerupt's side. The camel roared and teetered a bit from the blow, but she wasn't damaged as much as Cody had hoped, thanks to her rock solid build helped her endure the hit. Instead of giving in, she slammed her feet against the ground, creating tremors that were strong enough to knock the turtle off of his feet. Seeing an opening, Blaise saw her opening and instinctively charged her target. Bastion did manage to stand up, but before he could spray her, he took a blow straight to his chest. When Bastion crashed to the ground again, he was sprayed with another Ember before being charged at again. But this time, Bastion was ready. Pulling his limbs into his shell, he used Aqua Jet, blasting his shell into the Camerupt's head. Both pokémon were knocked back from the blow, but Blaise recovered quicker. She launched two more fireballs from her humps. The turtle withdrew into his sturdy shell to protect him from the hits, but when leaving the shell again, it was apparent that the impacts of the explosions were taking their toll on the Wartortle. He kept dodging the flames, but his movements were slowing with each escape. This Camerupt was truly something special.

"Bring him down with a Body Slam!" Laurence ordered, growing weary of the matchup. His pokémon barreled forward, leaping into the air to crash her heavy body into the prone Wartortle.

"Protect!" Cody yelled out frantically. Making a sturdy stance, Bastion threw up his protective bubble that blocked the blow of the Body Slam. Blaise let out a loud, injured groan upon the impact, but she re-situated herself immediately.

"Lava Plume!" Laurence ordered, and his camel pokémon began to produce smoke from her mouth as lava burst from her humps, piling onto the protective force field. Within seconds, the Protect broke and Bastion let out a scream as the lava burned him. Such an attack could permanently scar and kill a human, but Bastion was tougher than that. He let out a powerful stream of water right into the Camerupt's face before following that up with an Iron Tail to the skull. Still, Blaise would not fall. Instead, she backed up, trying to shake off the blows. But as her mouth began to smoke, Cody noticed that she was preparing another Lava Plume. This, he could not allow.

"Bastion, douse that fire now!" Cody shouted. The tired Wartortle did as he was told, hopping onto the Camerupt's head and spaying water into the volcanic humps. Blaise let out an agonizing roar as her Achilles heel was struck. Without enough power to heat herself back up, she was unable to deal with the next attack: a Water Pulse to the face, and she finally fell into a slump. Bastion stepped back, prideful of his work, but he was obviously injured from the bout, judging from the burn marks on his skin and shell. "Good work! You wanna keep going?" Cody asked, concerned for his pokémon's. The turtle didn't even react to the question. As far as he was concerned, the battle didn't end until finally dropped.

"Impressive," Laurence commented, returning Blaise to her pokeball and giving it a quick kiss before putting it back on his belt. "Took your Wartortle a bit to do that though. Luckily, Bolt is more than willing to pick up the scraps." In a second, Laurence's Pachirisu was on plot, his puffy, yellow cheeks crackling with electricity. Since the last time that Cody had seen the squirrel, it seemed a little bit bigger and its fur seemed to be thicker and healthier. Comparing the squirrel to Bastion, who was worn down quite a bit from that Camerupt, the match-up did not look promising on Cody's end.

_Our only chance is if Bastion can douse that thing with enough water to put the electricity out. Still, Pachirisu are extremely hardy for their size and build. Gotta remember that. _"Water Gun, and be ready to jet!" Bastion started off this new match up by spraying a stream of high pressured the squirrel right off the bat, but Bolt was lightning fast, dodging the spray easily. Before he could land contact with a Spark however, Bastion had already withdrew into his shell so he could Aqua Jet away and regroup. Once out of his shell again, he let loose a Water Pulse. This attack hit, causing Bolt to stumble some in the midst of his run, giving Bastion another opening for an Iron Tail to the squirrel's torso. However, Bolt instinctively clutched on to Bastion's shell and let a surge of electricity run through the Wartortle's body. Surprising to both boys, this didn't put Bastion out. Though he was in so much pain, he pulled into his shell for a Rapid Spin, shaking the squirrel off before opening on him with another Water Gun. Upon landing the attack, it looked like the Pachirisu was out of electricity, as the crackling on his cheeks looked weaker than normal. But the squirrel himself still looked to be in great form. He ran forward and leapt onto Bastion's shell, as the Wartortle was now too worn down to escape quickly enough.

"Hyper Fang!" Laurence ordered, and the electric squirrel chomped down on Bastion's neck before sending powerful volts through the turtle's system. Not able to handle this attack, Bastion crashed into the earth, leaving Bolt victorious, but without much electricity left.

Cody returned Bastion to his pokeball, whispered words of encouragement, and smiled. He knew from personal experience that an electric pokémon without electricity was limited. Tough as this Pachirisu was, he would be running on low without electricity, thanks to the dousing. But on the chance that the squirrel could build up a charge again with enough kinetic energy, Cody needed to counter that electricity with something that could sap it all away. "Elesa, time to clean house!" His next pokeball opened, and Elesa entered the plot in a gallop, whinnying with energy beyond compare. When looking at her tiny foe, she just snorted.

"Size doesn't matter! Leech her!" Laurence shouted. Immediately, the squirrel dodged the furious horse that came to stomp on him and latched onto her back, biting into Elesa's neck. This didn't seem to hurt Elesa at all, but Cody knew what was happening. The little squirrel was trying to leech electricity from the much bigger pokémon, and like he learned with battling the Kito Grove gym, electric pokémon were susceptible to getting overcharged.

"Surge it!" Elesa stopped running and used her energy to channel all of her electricity into the little Pachirisu. It didn't take long for the squirrel to get overcharged and he fell from her side, screaming loudly. Elesa took this moment to stomp on him repeatedly. Despite Elesa's repeated pounding with her diamond hard hooves, the Pachirisu managed to roll out of the way. He tried to smack Elesa with his tail, but the horse still had energy to burn. Bursting into a gallop, flames caught fire and she rammed into the tiny mammal with a Flame Charge. Still, the resilient little pokémon survived the blow, using the last of his energy to launch a Quick Attack at the Zebstrika's throat. It was a valiant effort, but an ineffective one as well, only pissing Elesa off even more. With one final stomp, she eliminated her opponent.

"Return," Laurence said, not seeming surprised. He looked back Cody, still not worried. "You know, my next two pokémon… not so great for fighting electric types. But this won't be a problem. Romulus! Neutralize her!" The next pokémon on the field was a beautiful Vaporeon whose blue, scaled body glistened in the sunlight as he wagged his fishlike tail. Obviously, Laurence was going for the dousing strategy that Cody had used a few minutes before on Bolt. But with a fresh pokémon out on the field as opposed to an injured Bastion, things could work out entirely different.

"Elesa, don't let him hit you! Serpentine into a Spark!" He knew that the Zebstrika still hadn't adjusted to the 'serpentine' command yet, but with time, hopefully she'd pick it up. Regardless, the electric pokémon charged the Vaporeon that just sat there. _What is he-_

"Detect!" Laurence burst out. At the last moment, the Vaporeon shifted his body to the left, dodging the Spark by inches. Since she was in a run, Elesa would have to circle around, giving Laurence time for another command. "Now Charm!" As the electric horse closed in on her target, Romulus turned towards his target and gave his opponent a cute look of innocence. This didn't slow Elesa down, but right before she hit home, the Vaporeon performed a front flip, lightly touching his foe with the tip of his tail, not hurting his target at all. Elesa skidded to a halt, looking at the now adorable pokémon that just seemed to be playing around. The Charm technique was excellent at disarming aggressive foes and right now, Elesa was baffled by what was happening.

"Don't fall for it! Hidden Power!" Cody shouted to his pokémon in hopes of snapping her back into action. Elesa let loose the green energy spheres from her body, and though she hit her target, the spheres looked significantly smaller than normal. She was obviously going easy on the aquatic canine that she was fighting.

"Acid Armor!" Laurence ordered. At this command, his pokemon's body started to let out a purplish sweat with a peculiar smell. The liquid seemed to harden on his pokémon's scales, toughening them further.

_Charm, Acid Armor… He's going to be tanking against Elesa. Smart move._ "Elesa, you need to hit him hard! Spark!"

"Bubblebeam!" At this command, Romulus went loose with a bubble attack that collided with the Zebstrika as she charged. She let out a scream as the attack hit, and though she landed the Spark, it was obviously weakened from the dousing. The Vaporeon circled his prey before trying to land a Quick Attack, but before he hit, Elesa lit up with a Flash, blinding the dog while she moved into position to kick him with the back of her hoof. Still, the attack was weaker than it should have been. The Charm must have had some sort of brief psychological effect on her.

"Shock Wave!" Elesa let loose a weak lightning attack that homed in on Romulus, who absorbed it easily before opening with an Aurora Beam. The rainbow colored ice beam hit the horse in the side, slowing her general movement as coldness ran through her body. With the new opening, the Vaporeon blasted her with another Bubblebeam, making a direct hit. By now, Cody could see that Elesa's electricity was fizzling out. _If only I could switch her ou… wait, I can switch her out._ "Volt Switch!" Using the last of her electricity, Elesa smacked into her target before converting herself back to a pokeball flash and returning to her trainer.

"Hey, I thought we had a no switching rule," Laurence stated, frowning at the occurrence.

"Baton Pass, Volt Switch, U-Turn, and moves like them are legal switches in a non-switch situation," Cody reminded him. "Because pokémon can do that on their own ability-"

"Fine, I get it Oak," Laurence sighed.

"Yup. Colossal! Wrap this up!" The Pupitar exploded onto the battlefield, humming in a low pitch. Ever since his battle with Hornsby's Donphan, no foe was too big for him to handle. Hopefully breaking through the Acid Armor would be easier than breaking a near invincible elephant.

"Charm!" Laurence ordered, going for his earlier strategy.

"Magnitude!" Cody returned. This time, Colossal stopped the move before he could be affected by shaking the ground and making the eeveelution fall on his face. With this opportunity, the pupa pokémon used his pressurized air pockets to shoot himself forward, headbutting the prone Vapreon. He followed up this launch with a wild and yet somehow controlled Thrash, breaking through Romulus's tight defense.

"Back up and use Bubblebeam!"

"Rock Slide!" Upon this command, the Pupitar palled up three rocks, each being a foot farther from his body than normal. Cody had taken Cedric's advice about training his Pupitar to pull up distant rocks, slowly increasing his pokemon's range. As he ran (so to speak) with his rocks at his foe, the Vaporeon's beam of bubbles shattered one boulder, but the rest hit the target. Still, Romulus was in great condition. He strafed to the side and hit Colossal with an Aurora Beam, slowing the blue shelled pokémon down with the ice crystals the attack formed, similarly to how he slowed Elesa earlier. However, Colossal stayed focused, continually pulling up rocks just in time to block the Bubblebeams. Strong as he was, Cody knew that one critical Bubblebeam could take his pokémon out if it hit. "Sand Storm!"

Colossal roared as he began a small Sandstorm on the battlefield. The blasting sands hindered Romulus some and his attacks became less accurate, giving Colossal the advantage, despite being slow. With all of his might, he blasted himself into the air and landed a Body Slam on his slowed target before landing on the side and smacking the eeveelution with a Dark Pulse. This combination was enough to finally break the Vaporeon as the onslaught of attacks mixed with the Sandstorm was just too much.

"Return," Laurence yelled out so his voice would be heard over the small Sandstorm that Colossal contained on the battlefield. "Very impressive. The little guy," he said, referring to Colossal, "has grown up a lot since we last battle. Then again, so has my little guy. Flex, time for a workout.

Cody was somewhat shocked to see Laurence's first pokémon on the field again. He had heard that Flex had evolved, but seeing the once tiny Machop as a grownup Machoke left him in awe, even though his vision was somewhat blocked by the flying sands. The Machoke stood at about five foot ten and his muscles were bulging. The brutish pokémon took a moment to flex his biceps before looking down at the much shorter Pupitar. Cody remembered how even as a Machop, Flex could defeat Gordon's Graveler back home at Stone Rise, so beating a Pupitar as a Machoke was dangerously feasible, especially given the matchup of elements.

"Keep the Sandstorm going and use Rock Slide!" Colossal ran at the Machoke with three fresh boulders, but the bigger pokémon was deceptively fast. Sidestepping the attack, he picked up one of the boulders with one hand and threw it straight at the Pupitar, stunning the pupa pokémon momentarily.

"Focus Energy and then Ice Punch!" Laurence bellowed.

"Dark Pulse!" Cody shouted. It took a moment for the Pupitar to collect his focus from being stunned, allowing the Machoke to build up his stored energy. When Colossal finally let a Dark Pulse loose at his foe, the Machoke effortlessly swatted the dark energy away before punching the pupa in the face. As his fist connected, ice crystals formed around where he punched, but Colossal wasn't through. Using Chip Away, he tried to break through the onslaught of attacks, but the Machoke blocked most of these attempts with basic martial arts blocks before whacking the Pupitar in the face with a Karate Chop. As the attack hit, Colossal looked a bit dazed in his stance and the Sandstorm fell flat from his lack of concentration, leaving Flex's skin scrapped up, but he still looked to be in top form.

"He's good, Cody, but Flex is better," Laurence said, though his tone was not one of bragging. "He's focused enough fight Psychic pokémon and win at times."

"We're not as easy as Psychic types, I'm afraid," Cody replied with a smirk. "Magnitude." The small earthquake set Flex off guard long enough for Colossal to land a headbutt to his face. Even though the attack hit, Machoke did have enough focus to catch the attacker, hoist him onto his back, leap several feet into the air and deliver a Vital Throw combined with a suplex. There was no getting up from that after all the attacks he absorbed.

"Solid work, Colossal! Return!" Once the pupa was back on his belt, Cody released his last remaining pokémon, Elesa. When she was back on the field, stamping her hooves and snorting, it appeared that the Charm had worn off. However, judging by the electricity currents that ran over her body from excitement, she wasn't even close to recovering even half of her electricity that had been doused. She had enough for a weak electric attack, but not enough for a Flame Charge or a Shock Wave or a fully powered Spark. Her best bet would be to rely on physical attacks until she could charge herself up enough to use proper electric type moves. "You need to recharge! Quick Attack!"

"Dig!" Laurence ordered. Before the Zebstrika connected with her enemy, Flex had rapidly dug underground. Cody was a little taken back by this, not because of the move itself (he had seen Flex use Dig before) but by how fast the Machoke managed to get underground before being hit. Unfortunately, while he had left an obvious hole to follow, Elesa would not have the electricity to shoot attacks to follow him underground.

"Just stay calm and-" Suddenly, the Machoke emerged to grab the electric horse, but to everybody's surprise, Elesa managed to scoot over just enough so that Machoke came out behind her, allowing her to give him a strong kick to the jaw with both of her back hooves. This attack sent Flex backwards, staggering.

"Brilliant!" Cody praised his proud steed. "Now Hidden Power!" The green spheres smashed into the Machoke's chest as he tried to catch up with the speedy horse. Every time he got close though, Elesa would set off a flash to blind him with light before moving herself into a position to kick him again. Slowly but surely, she was building up her electricity once more. "Now, tackle him and surge him!"

"Enough is enough! Foresight!" For Flex, the world seemed to slow down as he focused in on the Zebstrika who had moved into the offensive. With his lighting reflexes, the Machoke crouched down on one knee and swept the legs of the horse with his other. Elesa toppled over and before she could get back up, Flex effortlessly scooped her onto his back and performed another Vital Throw. Elesa was still not down completely though, so before she could pull herself up from that move as well, the Machoke wrapped his arms around her throat and his legs around her one, bending her backwards like a pretzel.

_A perfect Submission,_ Cody thought to himself. He called for Elesa to use whatever electricity she had left to break the hold, and while she surged all of it through the Machoke, he would not relent. Finally, Elesa's struggles finally stopped and the battle was over. Flex stood up, flexing again for all to see. Even with the beating he took, he looked as though he could go for another round.

"Victory!" Laurence sang as he entered the plot and high fived his muscle-bound friend.

"Yeah, congratulations," Cody replied glumly, though he was still smiling. The battle was great, but it bothered him that he knew that under the right circumstances, victory would have been possible. _One of these days Laurence, I will win. And when I do, I'm not going to let you live it down._ He petted Elesa's jagged mane before returning her to her pokeball and digging out the money he now owed Laurence. "That was pretty prime, I will admit."

"Of course it was. It was me who you were battling," Laurence teased with mock arrogance. "Look, we need to catch up. Would your friends mind if we left to grab a bite?"

Cody looked over at Heather and Jared, who were already leaving the plot's side. _They're probably going out tonight… unless Jared is still moody about whatever._ "They won't mind." Cody looked over at the bald chick that Laurence was currently traveling with. Right now, she was just leaning against a telephone poll, staring into space. She was probably just daydreaming. "Would your girlfriend mind being left alone?"

"Again with that word," Laurence chided in a half whisper, almost sounding a bit annoyed that Cody used it again. "She'll be cool with it. Besides…" He got a devilish look in his eyes. "If she gets hungry later, I got a dessert for her ri-"

"You know, suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore," Cody interrupted before Laurence could finish his statement. Losing was bad enough already, but the images that were now floating in his head made everything a little worse.

* * *

The boys grabbed breakfast for dinner at a local diner. Laurence was insistent on getting the "Slice of Heaven" meal that contained a little bit of every breakfast food served at the place so he could rate it all in his restaurant blog later on that night. Cody just got pancakes, since after just losing one hundred dollars, he wasn't in the mood to spend all that much. While eating, Laurence went on and on about his adventures, though most of his stories boiled down to two subjects: awesome pokémon battles and girls, the latter of the two making Cody kind of jealous. Deciding that he wouldn't let Laurence have all the fun, Cody went in to detail about being attacked by Casper and the haunted house that he and his group had visited. He kept the Darkrai stories to himself, but the other two seemed to be enough to grab Laurence's attention.

"So, I assume you're not telling your mother about this, correct?" Cody's friend asked jokingly as he tried the scrambled eggs.

"Are you kidding? I haven't even told her about the Skarmory scars yet," Cody replied, chuckling some. "She'd go even crazier than normal."

"Hey, be nice, Mrs. Storm is a perfectly good woman. Just a little protective of her _pwecious _baby boy," Laurence joked in his baby-talk voice, aiming it more at Cody than his mother. A good choice in his mind. As much as his mother annoyed him sometimes, he would have punched anybody that insulted her.

"No doubt," Cody replied, petting the Eevee pup that slept on his lap. He was kind of surprised that the management of the diner allowed him to bring the pup in to begin with, but he was glad that they did. He needed to spend all the time that he could with this Eevee. "So, I was thinking… you and Marissa are heading towards Graywood for your battle? Why not come with us? It would be cool to travel with you for once."

"Would if I could, but I can't," Laurence replied instantly between bites. "We got tickets to go to some concert out in McNoi. Not even sure who's singing at it. It's one of the bands that Marissa likes, so… either way, I don't think your friend, Jared, likes me all that much, judging by the looks he kept giving me."

"Don't take that personally, but yeah, that all won't work then," Cody admitted with a light groan. "We're heading to Lockton City. It's pretty much the most direct route to Graywood, so… How do you even have time for concerts anyway?"

"How don't you?" Laurence asked, answering his question with a question. "You told me the other day over the phone that you pretty much live, sleep, and breathe pokémon. I mean, dedication is good, but you need to relax some. You have these black bags under your eyes and your left eye has been twitching for the past few minutes," he pointed out.

"Huh, that's a new one," Cody mumbled as he traced the spot that Laurence pointed out under his eye. "Maybe you're right. I've had a lot on my mind lately with the training and the people I travel with and this new Eevee that was abused, and my parents fighting and-"

"Cody," Laurence interrupted, placing his fork on the plate in front of him. "I have a confession to make. I'd really hate to add to your pile of stress, but this is better off being said in person, or I would have done it over the phone."

The younger trainer couldn't help but feel nervous when Laurence started a sentence this way. The fact that Laurence seemed to put all of his comedy to the side for just one moment seemed to indicate some sort of dramatic news. "What is it?" he asked, curious and confused.

For a moment, Laurence just stared at him, trying to figure out how he'd deliver the awkward news. It didn't take him long to decide that just saying it would end that nervous feeling quickly and efficiently.

"Cody, I ran into Derrick."

There would have been absolute silence if it wasn't for the sound of the radio and the grill that sizzled in the other room. Cody just stared, his mouth agape. He had not seen Derrick since his entry in the Diamond Beach tournament, and that was only over the TV many years ago. But now…

"Derrick… as in my brother, right? As in the douchebag that decided to cut contact with me and my family because we were 'holding him back'?"

"Right."

Another silence.

"How did you run into him?" Cody asked, keeping his composure.

"When I was competing in my tier at the Jacobson tourneys, he was in the highest available tournament, competing as well. I managed to catch his attention, and he remembered me. He didn't tell me much though when we chatted. Just that he's been traveling to other regions and competing. He didn't seem to have any friends with him and he didn't talk with anybody else while we were there. He only seemed to be there so he could collect his money and move on."

"Sounds like him alright," Cody muttered to himself, taking his final bite of the food in front of him. _Why would he even come back? Jacobson is pretty minor on the tourney scene._ "What did you tell him about me?"

"Oh god, you're going to be so mad at me…" Laurence replied, looking down at his plate that was almost empty now, his eyes hollowing. "I told him that you're a trainer now. That you have three badges and that you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself."

Cody blinked. "I'm going to be mad at you for that?" he asked, not getting what the problem was there, even if he felt like it was a minor invasion of his privacy. If Derrick cared, he should do the research himself rather than relying on a friend of Cody's to fill in the gaps.

"No…" Laurence looked troubled as he delivered the news. "You're going to be mad at me because I gave him your cellphone number."

The younger boy's eyes flashed with anger as his face reddened. "You did WHAT?" The raising of his voice awoke the Eevee, who curled into a little ball out of fear.

"I'm sorry, it seemed like a good idea at the ti-"

"A good idea at the time?" Cody parroted back in a shout, not caring if people were staring. "Why would I want him to have my number? So we could have a little chat sometime? I don't want anything to do with that asshole, and you know it! Now he has my number that you willingly gave to him and-"

"Cody, I'm sorry," Laurence pleaded, looking upset at his friend's rage. "I thought maybe if he cared enough, he'd call-"

"If he cared enough, he'd call home and ask my parents for my number! It's not like we moved! Or better yet, he wouldn't have treated us like dirt at all! You think-"

"Look Cody, I know now that I shouldn't have, but I… I don't know… I just wanted to help. I know things are rough for you right now with your parents and that guy following you and everything else, but I thought… I don't know. If I had a brother, I'd want to see him again, even if he did hurt me… Look, I'm sorry for what I did, but it was a few weeks ago. I mean, it's not like he's called you, or you would have told me, right?"

Though he was enraged, Cody could see that Laurence was very upset. Despite being a complete moron at times, Laurence meant well, and Cody couldn't stay mad at him. "You're right, he hasn't called me… So I guess it doesn't matter. I'm sorry I yelled. I just… just…"

"Just had to be dramatic?" Laurence chuckled in his attempt to lighten the mood. Thanks to his natural charisma, it worked.

"Sure, we'll leave it at that," Cody answered, tickling the Eevee pup's tummy and relieving her of the stress that she had just built up. "You mind if we get the check soon? I need to crash."

"Sure, just let me finish these eggs" Laurence answered, relaxing against the cushioned seat, enjoying the lightened mood once more. The two continued their chat while they waited for the check and their chat gave Cody a fabricated sensation that things were as they used to be. However, in the very place he was dining, something new was unfolding.

* * *

A man sat alone in a booth nearby, listening to the two teenagers as they chatted about typical teenage subjects: friends, pokémon, women; nothing that he hadn't heard before. Just by looking at the man, there wasn't anything extraordinary about him. To most of the people who saw him, he was just another ordinary man in his late twenties with a decent looking face, sandy blonde hair, and a minor case of male pattern baldness. But while he sipped on his coffee, he was listening for key words, and the boy with the blonde hair said the words that he was listening for: Lockton City. More importantly, the boy said that he was going there.

Not expressing any reason that the words might be important, the man pulled out his cellphone and sent the following text:

[Report: Target Sierra Charlie spotted in Banyen. Approaching Lockton. Estimated arrival date between 5 and 7 days.]

He received an answer within the minute.

[Your service has been noted. Standby for future instruction.]

Putting the phone away, the man finally revealed a brief grin in his success. What a stroke of luck this was. He was only recruiting in Banyen, but the fact that he could recognize this target in particular, thanks to the one picture as well as the description he saw the day before on an email that listed threats to the organization… he was a minor target, but even so, anything he could do to help the cause. "From the ashes, we shall rise," he whispered to himself, just before downing the last of his coffee. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

**Sooo… who has a good name for the Eevee? I want to stay away from Roman/Greek gods and real names, so if you have suggestions, leave them in the review. Remember though, since I will not say what the Eevee will be evolving into, pick something that doesn't apply to a specific element. **

** Also, I'm looking for a co-beta right now so I can alternate between Magikarp Master and somebody else. Anybody interested? If so, please PM me.**

**Until next time!**


	35. Chapter 35: Behind the Masquerade

**Hey guys, what's up? I'm glad people liked the last chapter. It really is a pain in the ass to write battle scenes, but if they come out entertaining, I've done my job. I'm still thinking over Eevee nicknames, but feel free to suggest more. Now this chapter... oh boy, this chapter.  
**

**Thanks to Magikarp Master for the editing.**

* * *

**Cody: **Bastion (Wartortle), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick), Eevee

**Heather: **Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Gloom), Smaug (Trapinch), Sasha (Eevee)

**Jared: **Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Jolteon, Mightyena, Onix

* * *

**Chapter 35: Behind the Masquerade**

Lockton City was one of the biggest cities in Skitrex, and from a distance, one of the most beautiful to look at. The Ideal Imports (I.I.) tower stood several blocks off the center, its onyx colored structure reflecting the white sunlight, and nearby stood other large skyscrapers that represented various other businesses. But when walking the streets of one of Skitrex's wealthiest cities, it was apparent that the other side of the spectrum was readily available. Looking at the city from the streets, there were more than enough people in the working class and below who struggled to make ends meet, whether they be the general low income earners, dead end trainers who came to compete in Lockton's underground circuit, or just jobless individuals. Thankfully for some of them, there were several shelters, including Haven House, which provided bed space and food, though these were quite limited.

When Cody, Jared, and Heather passed through the city in the afternoon, they passed the biggest Haven House they had seen erected, spanning five stories. Though they were invited in for a meal, they just kept walking, mostly on Cody's suspicion that the organization that had stalked him was connected to Haven somehow. Because Lockton was where the biggest Haven House was located, as well as the I.I. building itself, Cody remained on guard during his walk through the streets of Lockton, fearing that Casper or another threat could be lurking around any corner.

A city of this size needed several pokémon centers, so the group chose one that was near the outskirts, complete with a small, enclosed field for their teams to relax after receiving their routine checkups. Unsurprisingly in such a big city, the pokémon center itself had every bed space filled, so the group decided to set up in a nearby motel. Before letting their pokémon loose to the relaxation of the center's recreation field, Cody and Heather had a practice battle in the old, drained pool of the motel. The cement pit was big enough for medium sized pokémon, and since the pool hadn't been filled in years, the manager allowed trainers to battle there for a small fee of a few dollars. Given how little space there was to practice that was considered safe, Cody and Heather didn't mind the fee at all.

"Somnos, Scald!" Heather called out to her Poliwhirl. The frog pokémon was probably her strongest, and it showed with his maneuverability and physical prowess. Flipping over the Zebstrika's Hidden Power attack, he sprayed a mass of boiling water at his opponent, which only caught her back leg. The burn was there, but Elesa was no quitter. She had faced worse.

"Elesa, jump the next one and Spark him between moves!" Cody ordered, though really, this match up was boring him. There was no doubt that Heather was good, but there was a reason why she had only won three of the twenty or so battles that the two of them had: she was predictable. Even though each of her pokémon had a different game plan, those game plans never changed. The most obvious flaw in her strategy (from Cody's perspective at least) was that she always had her pokémon use their strongest moves constantly, which made them easy to counter or avoid, and without a mix up of techniques, it was always easy to see what would happen next. That's why as much as he hated to admit it, he preferred battling Jared, who was much less predictable and had much stronger pokémon. If only he _could_ win that match up…

"Punch him out!" Heather added frantically, but she should have seen the attack coming sooner. After carefully dodging the Scalds and Bubblebeams, Elesa crashed her electrified body into the poor Poliwhirl's body, and the attack was enough to end.

"Damn it…" Heather muttered. "Good job, Somnos." She returned her first pokémon and her posture slumped. "How'd I do?"

Cody, who had hopped down into the pool to congratulate his Zebstrika personally with a pat on the neck and a juicy apple, replied, "you did alright. Still, you're getting very predictable. You always send Somnos in last and you keep going for power moves."

"I don't get what the problem is," Heather retorted crossing her arms. "Power moves end battles and Somnos is my strongest. Why should I not use him la-"

"Because I knew you were going to use him then, and I prepped my team accordingly," Cody answered. "And yes, power moves will win a fight, but only when they hit. Remember when we prepped Somnos to take down Hornsby's Donphan? He had to get in the Hypnosis before he could even land anything significant. My point is, if you keep going for the same big moves, people will wise up. You have to have a mix." He returned Elesa to her pokeball before going to the pool's edge and climbing out.

"I guess you're right, but still…" Heather sighed. "I just-" She stopped midsentence as she got caught a glance at Cody's face. Her frown deepened with concern and annoyance. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?" she interrogated.

"Of course I did," Cody lied, though he knew he wouldn't be able to get away with it, especially with the tone of voice he used doing so. If his lying skills weren't bad enough to begin with, they definitely were not going to fool his friend.

"Bullshit, those dark bags under your eyes tell otherwise," Heather scolded. "What were you even doing last night that was so important that you had to be awake the whole time?"

"Mapping, Diglett tracking, catching up on my reading…" he trailed off, thinking about what else he was doing before remembering his tasks for the current day. "Speaking of which, I need to-"

"Take a break," Heather cut in forcefully. "Now."

"Heather, I don't have time to-"

"Yes you do," she reinforced while clutching his wrist tighter than an Ekans's wrap. "You haven't had a good night's sleep in days. I know you're worried about the Darkrai thing, but this is unhealthy. It's going to start having an effect on your training and our traveling. So please, go back to the room and do something non-training related for once. Take a shower, get some sleep, watch TV, and eat crappy food. Hell, order a porno off one of the PPV channels, I don't care. Just please, for you, your pokémon, and myself, do something relaxing!"

Cody's eyes widened for a few seconds before he smiled deviously. "You just told me to watch porn. Do you realize how weird that is?"

Heather couldn't help but burst into giggles at the notion. "Only because I care," she snickered while pulling her friend in for a hug. When letting go of him, she got serious again. "Just take a day off for everybody's sake. Even Jared is getting worried. Personally, I think it's because he needs somebody to fight with and-"

"And that's me, right?" Cody chuckled, rubbing his tired eyes. "Okay, I'll take a personal day. Just let me drop some of my pokémon off at the center. It's a beautiful day, and I'd hate to have them cooped up in their pokeballs. The two began the quick walk to the pokémon center when Cody decided to pry. "Is that why Jared has been so… icy lately? Dude's been quiet. It's kind of strange."

"I don't think that's it." It was obvious to Cody that Heather seemed concerned, and if the tone of her voice didn't give it away, the worried expression on her face did. "I don't know what that's all about. He says everything is fine, but… he's hiding something."

"No secrets, huh?" Cody asked, referring to Heather's unwritten rule for the group on their travels. "Seems like nobody follows that rule."

"No… we don't," Heather agreed.

_We?_ Cody stared over at Heather as the two of them walked, trying to figure out what secret she apparently had. But when she looked back at him once noticing that she was being stared at, he looked away, embarrassed. That was just another subject on his list of things he was unable to understand.

* * *

_Relax… how do I do this again?_ It felt as though it had been months since Cody had last kicked his feet up and chilled. So strange, given that he used to be a constant slacker back in school, but now, he was way too uptight with all of his projects and various stresses. He had already taken a shower and now he was sprawled out on one of the motel room's beds, wearing a fresh set of clothes. The Eevee pup curled up on his lap and Cortez was trying (unsuccessfully) to phase the wall of the room. He couldn't, given that many walls in modern buildings were given a chemical spray to keep ghosts from phasing through and psychic types from teleporting in and out. While the rest of his pokémon were out, Cody did need to keep these ones though: the Eevee for her therapy and Cortez for his general protection.

He reached for the remote and flipped on the television, gazing into the bright, flashing colors while he flipped through the channels. At this hour, mostly talk shows and cartoons for the younger crowd were on, so he kept flipping aimlessly. Eventually, he went to the PPV channels and looked at the options. He almost took Heather's advice and rented a porno, but decided that he'd be better off not, just in case Heather and Jared returned early. Instead, he looked at the pokémon battle PPV's. Because most battles were isolated (save tournaments), buying an individual live battle on PPV only cost a few dollars, so the young trainer entered his debit number and waited for show time.

The battle was an Elite Four battle, set between the young challenger Sonya Hackett and Elite Four member Matthias Franklin, a renowned trainer who specialized in fire, ice, and water types. He was one of the few trainers who would switch between hailstorms, bright sun, and rain within battles on a frequent basis, being able to fluster his opponents while benefitting himself. However, Sonya had already defeated him in the first round of the best out of three. If she could win again, she'd get a bit closer to fighting Champion Kaiser.

_I've never seen this woman before… I don't remember her being a Diamond Beach winner either. I wonder how she got recommended for an Elite Four challenge… must be the sponsors. Money talks._ As he watched Franklin's Mamoswine do battle with Hackett's Victreebel, he figured that Heather would admonish him again for doing something that was pokémon related, but he managed to switch his battle senses off and just watch as the two pokémon duked it out while he stroked the Eevee's soft fur. When his Litwick joined his trainer's side, Cody's eyes began to close as he began to fall into a long, overdue sleep. Or he would have if he wasn't awakened by the rapping at the door.

_Knock Knock Knock!_

"Who is it?" Cody questioned in almost a whine. He was actually falling asleep, but of course, somebody had to go and ruin that.

"Room service," the man (judging by his voice) answered.

"What? No, I didn't order anything," Cody groaned, pushing the ends of his pillow up against his ears in an attempt to drown out the noise. It didn't work. _I didn't think a crappy motel like this would even have room service._

"I have a turkey breast sandwich and a carton of milk to be delivered to a Mr. Cody Storm sent by Miss Heather Landon," the voice continued.

_She sent me lunch? That's really nice of her._ "Coming," the young trainer answered as he hopped off the bed and opened the door, only to discover that the sandwich was a ruse. Standing before him was a man in a black jumpsuit with a helmet of the same color that shaded his eyes. On his shoulder sat a tranquil looking Roselia. Cody's eye widened in unexpected terror.

"You-"

"Gas him," Casper snapped, and the Roselia leapt from the man's shoulders and punched Cody in the face with one of her flowery hands. Though the punch itself didn't hurt, just as she made contact, a purple powder clouded into Cody's nostrils. He fell to his knees, coughing and growing woozy.

"Don't worry. Just a Poison Powder," Casper said in his real voice. "You'll live, but it'll knock you out in a min- OOF!" Casper had not seen Cortez, who for once, was not laughing, as seeing his trainer attacked actually triggered his angry, protective side. But even after taking a light Shadow Ball to the chest, the fallen masked man had enough focus to release his Luxio into the bedroom. The lion pokémon leapt into the air and smacked Cortez with a Spark before sinking his teeth into the ghost's waxy body. The dark type attack was strong enough to douse him for now.

"Hmm… a guard pokémon. Smart." By now, Casper had found his feet again and was kneeling over his fallen prey, tying up his hands. "Too bad you weren't smart enough to check the peephole on the door before you opened it. Stupid, especially since you've been so careful lately. Oh well."

"You… I…" Cody reached over towards the Eevee, who seemed to be having an anxiety attack in the corner of the room. The poor thing must have been petrified from the sudden attack as she shivered violently as if it were the dead of winter.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. If they don't struggle, we won't hurt your pokémon. Same goes for you too." With that, the man in black put a burlap sack over Cody's head. It didn't matter that it made his vision go black because he passed out seconds later.

* * *

Cody had been poisoned before by pokémon, all three times occurring within the past year. However, those incidents were never that destructive. Usually, his tongue would start swelling, his vision would blur, and his movement would become hampered, but it was nothing an antidote wouldn't fix, especially since all of his poison incidents were mild at best. However, inhaling the Roselia's Poison Powder put him out quickly and efficiently. When he finally began to come to, he could tell that the poisoning was gone, even though he still felt the residual effects of dizziness and fogginess in the head. All he knew was that he was sitting in a chair and that there was a strong, blinding light shining down on him. Even before his eyes could get used to the light, he could tell that his vision was still too blurry to make out any details.

"Good, you're awake. You were out for quite a while, you know. Kids these days ought to sleep more, but now that you're up… tell me when you shake off the after effects of the poison. It's a nasty experience."

That voice… it was an unfamiliar voice of a man, but it was hardly threatening. Hell, it seemed to have a genuine kindness about it. But Cody knew that something was wrong, not only because he had been poisoned, kidnapped, and tied to a chair, but he had also been attacked by that stalker of his that somehow had a connection to the organization that Frank was in. And that was most likely the Haven Houses, though he still wasn't completely sure on that part. Was this man his employer? Still dazed, the young trainer noticed that his hands were free but his lower torso was strapped to a chair to keep him from moving. _Why would they untie my hands? This doesn't make any… is that cheese I smell?_ He squinted to see that there was a finely polished wooden table in front of him with a plate of assorted cheeses, accompanied by a glass of red wine. Focusing his eyes even more, he looked beyond the table to look upon the man who was talking to him. What he saw did not meet his expectations. Though the man's voice was calm and relaxed, he believed that his captor would look dangerous and dastardly. But this man seemed incredibly normal. He looked as if he was in fifties and he had short cut gray hair and a trimmed goatee, both of which were incredibly thick, given his age. He wore a black button down shirt and an incredibly neutral expression. He was neither smiling nor frowning, but just staring. What was he waiting for? Cody then noticed that there were other men in the room, all wearing black jumpsuits and helmets like Casper wore. They just stood there, almost motionless, watching. He also saw a Houndoom sitting by the man's side, and he shivered. He did not like Houndoom, ever since he had been attacked by that crazed one in the woods on two occasions. But this one looked to be well groomed, well fed, and incredibly strong, yet still very stoic. Still foggy, Cody finally spoke on the first thing that came to mind.

"So… what's with the wine and cheese?" _Really? That's your first question?_

The gray haired man raised his eyebrow, but he answered the question anyway. "You are my guest and I am always very hospitable to guests. The cheese is a mixed platter from some of the finest ranches in Skitrex and the wine is a 1985 Californian merlot. I've learned through experience that providing wine and cheese during negotiations always seems to-"

"Negotiations?" Cody asked loudly, finally snapping back into his senses at the sound of that word. "That's what you call this? You kidnapped me and tied me to a chair for negotiations?" Even as the anger rose in his voice, the man's expression did not change. "I don't even… who the hell are you? Where am I? What did you do to Cortez and my Eevee? Why am I even-"

"Your pokémon are fine," the calm man interrupted, his voice still eerily easygoing. He motioned for one of the guards to step forward and Cody noticed that the man had a steel case designed for pokeball transport. "That Litwick though, he gave Casper a rough time. Kept escaping from his pokeball and attacking him. But after we encased him, everything became that much easier." With another motion, he sent the man back into the shadows. "As for where we are and who I am…" he smiled a wry little grin. "You're a smart kid. You tell me where we are."

_What is this, 20 questions?_ Cody did not know why this man was toying with him, but he knew he wanted out now. He looked at the glass of wine in front of him and options raced through his head. If he wanted to, he could have thrown it at the man, but in all likelihood, it wouldn't shatter on impact and the man would be fine. Either way, Cody was strapped to a chair and surrounded by guards, so attacking was not an option. Maybe for the time being, playing along would be the best choice. Cautiously, he reached forward, picked a cube of provolone of the platter, and ate it with slow chews. Seconds later, he realized that it may have been poisoned, but he dismissed the idea. If they wanted him dead, they would have done it by now or they would have poisoned him earlier with a higher concentration upon capturing him.

"Where am I…" Cody pondered out loud. "Your HQ or something?"

"Be more specific. Use the pieces of the puzzle that we have provided," the man encouraged him. He actually seemed interested in Cody's response.

"Where am I," Cody repeated softly. _Okay… Frank, Casper, and this guy are all connected somehow. Frank told me about how he was working in an organization that was aiding poor trainers via training and soup kitchens and what not. Casper works with Haven, a non-profit organization which has very similar in its goals. If that adds up... I could be in the Haven House in Lockton, but the building looks too nice on the inside. Most of the Haven Houses look pretty basic. This though… Nice flooring, nice oak crafted table… I'm going to go out on a limb here. _"Are we in the Ideal Imports building?" Cody asked, crossing his fingers.

The man's bellowing laughter filled the large room. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "That was very good of you. You have been paying attention! Now tell me, who am I?"

"I… I don't know. Are you Casper's handler? His boss? I don't know."

"The second one," the man answered, not nearly as impressed at the two guesses. "That was pretty obvious though. Finally, why are you here today, Mr. Storm?"

"I… I do not know, really. All I know is that you sent that Casper guy after me. I know it all started when I found out that Frank had a Cipher helmet and when I saw him again, he asked me to meet you. Said that you were impressed with my battling or something like that. When I refused, you sent some guy to capture me and really… that's not hospitable at all. You're not earning points with me through all of this."

"Perhaps not, but we all must take a risk," the man replied coolly. "You seem to understand why you are here, but answer me this: what do you think I am trying to accomplish?"

"Frank said world peace or world unity. Something along those lines," Cody answered, his eyes narrowing. "Still, I don't buy it. I remember what happened in Orre when the whole shadow pokémon thing went down, so if you think that I'd trust a splinter of the Cipher to-"

"We are not the Cipher," the man interrupted, his voice loud and firm, yet still very relaxed. "The Cipher aimed for domination of Orre, and later, the world, but through violent means. We on the other hand-"

"You aren't violent?" Cody challenged, his temper peaking. "I have a knife scar from that maniac you sent after us. You think-"

"Casper deviates from our code a little bit at times," the man sighed, "but truly, we work to avoid violence when possible…" The man let out a small groan, looking down at the table. He took two pieces of cheese from his plate, one for himself and one for the Houndoom that sat by his side. "There was a time when I worked with the Cipher. In exchange for funding my research, I would help them find legendary pokémon for them to use. At that point, they were hardly a major threat and they told me that what they did was for the unification of Orre, and that was enough to convince me to aid them. I assume you've never been to Orre, but that land is still a lawless cesspool of evil, even now, though they've tried to improve the conditions. But when they started to create shadows… that's when I left them. I happen to love pokémon, Mr. Storm. And when I left, I managed to bring many suits with me as long as the blueprint for their design. It's a great field uniform that disguises who we are when we have to do things that are considered-"

"Illegal?" Cody finished. For the first time, the man seemed to be annoyed, but he kept talking.

"As I said before," he continued, looking somewhat irked, "I do not enjoy violence. But there are other things I do not care for: greed, corruption, hatred, ignorance. You leave this building and you'll see it on the very streets. You look at the world leaders and you'll see that they care not for the interests of others. The world is plagued with these sins and it is my plan to eradicate them from the world in one way or another. Then, there will be no more suffering, no more war, no more greed or corruption. Only peace and unity. By setting an example, others will join our organization as we declare war on the sins of humanity. Humanity is flawed and full of hatred, and this will never change. However, should we aim this hatred at the sins that deserve it, only then can we prevail. Eventually, our numbers will be strong enough to carry this crusade and when the time is right, this world will be reborn, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Do you understand?"

Cody blinked. "Vaguely," he answered. "There is so much unanswered that I can't-"

"I will not tell you everything today," the man said, smiling again. "Secrets give people power, and divulging mine will only bring weakness. However, you are one of the few people on the outside who know that we exist, so I will give you some answers if it convinces you how I hope it shall. Is there anything in particular that you would like to know?"

_Anything… while, this guy is about as vague as Darkrai._ Except while Darkrai didn't bother to hide his monstrosities, this man seemed like a decent sort (for a man who ordered Cody's kidnapping at least). "Who are you exactly? What is all this?" At first, he regretted asking this, as his questions seemed as vague as the man's answers, but it paid off.

"My name…" the man began, before pausing. But then he looked back at Cody, pride flashing in his eyes. "My birth name is of no importance anymore. I have shed it like how the Kingler sheds his skin before he grows bigger and more powerful. My new name… I am Father Ezekiel, the prophet of destruction and rebirth and I am the leader of the Brotherhood of Life."

_Father Ezekiel?_ It sounded like an incredibly hammy name, but the man seemed to wear it with such conviction. "The Brotherhood of Life?"

"We took the name recently, though we have not used it publicly yet," Ezekiel stated solemnly. "We were originally going to call ourselves the Brotherhood of the Phoenix, but one of my advisors pointed out to me that name carried a striking resemblance to that one children's book, so we dropped it."

"And your goal is to unify the world by eliminating the sins you mentioned earlier?" Cody questioned, now becoming slightly more comfortable, though he was still alert. If what this man said was true, at least he seemed to have good, albeit extreme intentions.

"More or less," the older man answered, smiling wider.

"Then why hide it? Why not go public outside of just erecting soup kitchens?"

"You know about the whole controversy with Team Plasma that happened recently?" Ezekiel asked, not waiting for an answer. "Originally, they were externally portrayed as a group of pokémon rights activists. However, their intentions were domination via the 'liberation' of pokémon from their trainers. When word got out that that was their true goal, people were terrified and untrusting. Likewise, they would never trust me and my followers right away. While unification and peace are our goals, we must be careful what we expose, lest people believe that we have a darker motive. Understand?"

"Sort of… but Ideal Imports, what about them? Why do they work with you?"

"A mutual agreement in philosophies," Ezekiel answered. "I.I. has always been a charitable organization and after I invested in the company while it was small, I've become good friends with the executives. They support my efforts and have donated so much to the creation of the Haven Houses. The project has come a long way, helping trainers as well as earning us recruits, many of whom will become better trainers from their efforts."

"Creating better trainers… That does sound good and all." Cody said, though a new concept rose in his mind, leading him to make his next accusation. "You're just raising an army."

"Violence is against our code, but precautions must be taken," Ezekiel said mournfully. "Surely, you understand that."

"Okay then… but what does this have to do with me?" Cody asked, cocking his head some. "Why kidnap me? Why are you telling me all of these secrets? Am I really that important?"

"Yes and no," the man replied, stirring confusion in Cody once more. "You see, you uncovering Frank's apparel; that was a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. It made you a small threat, but nothing too substantial compared to those who post conspiracy theories on the internet about us, and even those threats are minor at best. Either way, even the smallest of threats must be contained, and originally, we planned on doing that in a no hassle way. But then, Frank showed me your battle blog that he came across, and I must admit… I was impressed. For somebody so young, you have so much potential, especially since you managed to evade Casper not once, but twice. Your style reminds me of my style of battle when I was your age. It reminds me of my eldest daughter's battle style too, God rest her soul." His eyes grew sad momentarily as they fell before looking back up again with a passion. "Frank begged that I not hurt you. He may be low in our hierarchy, but I've always liked him. He's a gifted recruiter and has so much faith in humanity where I have lost it. Perhaps it is just his naivety, but whatever the case, I appreciate his work. I was never going to hurt you, Cody Storm, but because you knew our secret, or bits of it, I wanted to speak with you like how we are today. I know that I have scared you with our methods, but I decided to tell you secrets that the rest of the world is ignorant to in hopes that you will understand and then join our side for the betterment of our world. A risk on my part, yes, but perhaps it will pay off. So today, I ask you this: do you believe what we are doing is a good thing?"

"I don't know… it's hard to say," Cody replied, taking another cube of cheese. "The kidnapping, the illegal actions that you and Frank have referred to… those aren't good, and you won't be able to convince me otherwise. However, the charity work you've done with the Haven Houses and helping trainers… that's good. Great even. Your goals of unifying the world… extreme. But not necessarily bad… I mean, I guess you have good intentions, but does that make you any different from groups like Team Magma and Team Aqua?"

Ezekiel seemed annoyed again and he leaned forward, now looking as intimidating as the fire pokémon that sat by his side. "We are not eco-terrorists. We are the movers of the world to a greater society, and not for reasons of our own personal gain. Yes, laws will be broken, but many of man's laws are arbitrary. Greed, hatred, abuse; those are wrong, and we intend to abolish them completely. As an organization, we have helped so many in poverty who could have died without our intervention. So far of the people who have gotten in are way, the number of casualties has been five. That is not something that I am proud of, but compare us to Team Rocket, who killed fifty people in their takeover of Silph Co. alone. So tell me Cody Storm, when all of our cards are on the table, are we good or are we evil?"

Cody leaned back to move away from the imposing figure before him, wishing that he did not have to pick between two words, but he finally spoke. "I… I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I had to choose, I'd say that you guys are good… even if your methods are questionable."

Father Ezekiel smiled again and sat back in his chair. "Excellent. You have passed your entrance exam."

"Say what?" Cody blurted out, not understanding what had just happened.

"I am going to make you a personal offer to join the Brotherhood of Life," the older man clarified, stroking his short beard. "Not many have received an offer like this, but today, I will give you the opportunity to enroll in our advanced training program. With the experts that we have on staff, your skills will be embraced and enhanced, and you will be receiving the best trainer education that I can offer, and that is all for free. You wouldn't have to pay the fortune required for classical training schooling. With us, you would never need to worry about your next meal or where you will sleep, as everything will be provided for you. Alongside training, we will grant you access to catching the best pokémon available to supplement your team and we will allow you to continue to compete for badges. Having a representative at Diamond Beach will only enhance our reputation, should we need such representation at that point. All we ask for in return is that you offer your services for us. And who knows? You could very well become one of my elite disciples one day. Maybe even my apprentice. It's not impossible."

"That's… That's a lot to swallow," Cody replied, feeling on edge at the sudden pressure. "I… what… what about my friends? I can't just leave them."

"They could join our organization too," Ezekiel offered, "though there is not much room in our advanced program, as we have plenty of members already. Still, I could find a place for them if they would like."

_They wouldn't like_, Cody thought to himself. Especially Jared. He would rip Cody's spine out if he knew that he had joined a shady organization. "And these services you mentioned?"

"That could be anything, but I promise that I would never tell you to kill somebody or greatly hurt them either," Ezekiel swore, placing his hand on his heart. "Regardless, think about what you are being offered today: a chance to change the world. To make it a better place to live for people and pokémon alike. Would you not want to be a part of the piece of the driving force for peace and prosperity?"

_Stay focused. He's trying to make the organization sound like Jesus, Buddha and Gandhi all rolled into one._ Instead of answering the question, Cody posed one of his own. "And if I refuse?"

Ezekiel frowned, but instead of looking angry or intense, the older man looked disappointed. "Then it would be a great loss of such potential. However, you have my word that you will not be harmed. Should you refuse, we will let you go on your way."

_He's lying, he has to be. There is no way he'd tell me all of this and then just let me go… unless that is a part of his gambit._ Cody took a moment to look into that man's eyes. He himself was a terrible liar, but from this man, he had received an aura of sincerity. Perhaps what he was saying was true. Perhaps he was excellently deceptive. Still, he could not imagine that either joining this group or declining their offer would not come without its problems. He looked down at the cheese plate, noticing that he had eaten all of the cubes during the discussion. There was no more time to stall. _Time to take a chance._

"No," he answered flatly.

Ezekiel's eyes grew gloomy again. "Are you quite sure? Opportunities like this don't come around often."

"I know, but…" Cody struggled, picking his words carefully as not to offend his "host." "If what you say is true, your work has benefitted so many. However, I can't be a part of this because… I just don't trust it. I can't sign my name over to you for something this vague. I mean, maybe if I had a detailed list of everything you plan to do to unite the world, sure, I'd sign on, but I know you won't give me that. Secrets are powerful and you wouldn't squander all of them on a random trainer, right?"

"Correct," Ezekiel sighed, looking like a deflated Drifloon in his disappointment. "But so be it. I will have you returned to your motel."

"Wait, that's it?" Cody asked, a bit shocked at how easy his refusal was being taken.

"That's it," Ezekiel repeated. "If you are so worried that you will become a slave to the Brotherhood, then I will not force you to-"

"Wait, hold on," Cody interrupted, disbelief rising in his voice again. "You're just going to let me go? After everything you've told me, you're just going to let me go back on my merry way?"

"What else can I do?" Ezekiel asked, shrugging his broad shoulders. "I can't force you to join us. If your heart isn't aligned with us, you would never rise to your true potential. I could keep you as a prisoner, but you don' belong there. Not with those who have greatly wronged us in some way. We could have a psychic pokémon wipe your mind, but a psychic lobotomy could destroy your mental state, and that's just cruel. I could kill you…" The pause that followed was nerve-wracking before Ezekiel spoke again. "I could kill you, but that sends a negative message to my people to say that I will kill somebody over a matter of mistrust. So, you shall be set free, but you will be monitored from afar."

"Monitored…" That made the young trainer uncomfortable. "But you'll just let me go? Aren't you afraid-"

"Of you? No." The man stood up and walked over to Cody's side, his Houndoom following him. "You could try to press charges against us for kidnapping, but we have gotten those charges before. I.I. has access to the greatest lawyers in Skitrex, and the evidence of your capture has been erased. It would just look like another case of an attempted extortion for profit, and you would be unsuccessful, given that we have all the right factors on our side while you would not. You could try and tell others of what you have learned, blogging like a conspiracy theorist on the internet, but who would believe you? And if you ever became a major threat…" He lowered his head to look Cody directly in the eyes. Through his stiff lips, he murmured, "742 Oakland Way, Stone Rise City."

For those next few seconds, Cody felt as though Dialga had warped time, because those next seconds seemed to stretch on for an eternity, all of which, his heart stopped beating.

"That's… that's my home address," he breathed, trying not to panic. "How did you-"

"People are so easy to track when you have the correct resources," Ezekiel interrupted, an evil smile on his face. "Cody Storm, 15, son of Randal Storm, 43, and Tiffany Storm, maiden name Patrick, 42, brother of Derrick Storm, 20, nephew of-"

"Are you threatening them?" Cody asked darkly, his eyes growing intense with rage.

"No. Just stating the facts," the Father replied smoothly. "We are non-violent, but we will always look out for the greater good, even if that means getting our hands dirty. Of course, I like you, so I won't kill you, because I know you'll be smart enough to listen to what I have to say. I just want to warn you that I know you're family and your friends alike. Laurence Young, 16. Angela Baker, 15. Paul Carter, 16. Jared Rossinger, 16. Heather Lan-"

"Okay, okay, stop!" Cody shouted, his vice echoing several times throughout the room, "I won't bother you! Just leave us alone, all of us!" His eyes were growing moist with tears of desperation and fear. Ezekiel seemed to enjoy the fact that he had one, a victorious smile crossing his face.

"Excellent. I am very glad you see it my way. Nobody wants the blood of the innocent on their hands." He slowly returned to his chair and sat down again, now with sadness returning to his expression. "I am sorry that I had to do that, but now you know who you are dealing with. We will be watching, Cody Storm, but so long as you stay out of our way, you and your loved ones will remain unharmed. You have my word." He reached for his untouched glass of wine. "I say we drink to this agreement. A toast to the future."

Reluctantly, Cody raised his glass as well. Anything to keep this man on his good side since he had entwined himself so deeply within Cody's life. The revelation was terrifying, but he held the glass regardless before taking a sip of the merlot. Having little experience with alcohol, he cringed at the taste, though it wasn't bad. Just unfamiliar. When he lowered his glass, he looked back at the powerful leader of the Brotherhood of Life. If he ever saw this manipulative bastard again, it would be too soon.

"Farewell and good luck to you on your journey, Cody Michael Storm," he announced in an encouraging voice that sounded as honest as it was before. "And remember, from the ashes, we shall rise," he added, raising his cup again. Suddenly, a hand with a damp cloth shot in front of his face before pressing the cloth onto his mouth and nose. The chloroform worked its magic immediately.

* * *

Something was licking his face. His eyes were heavy, but the trainer opened them to look into the worried gaze of the Eevee pup. On his chest sat Cortez, who seemed to have recovered from his injuries. He also looked worried and for good reason. Cody looked around to see that he was back in the motel room as if nothing had changed.

"They kept their word," he muttered to himself. "What now?" He couldn't even grasp the situation at hand and before he could think of anything more, the door to the motel room opened.

"Good. You're still here. I was afraid you would have broken the rules to go out and battle or something," Heather laughed as she and Jared entered the room.

"I figured it would have been a guarantee that-" Jared stopped talking as he smelled something. Sniffing, he followed the scent over to Cody and scowled. "Cody, have you been drinking? I smell alcohol coming from your breath."

Cody just stared back at the teen accusing him, not knowing where to begin.

* * *

"You actually think we can figure out who he is?" Cody questioned as he and Heather leaned over Jared while he clicked away at the PC in the pokémon center.

"Easily," Jared answered. "You told us that he made no effort to hide his face, so you'll recognize his picture. All we need to do is do a cross-search of both Ideal Imports and the Cipher and something will pop up."

Cody had told his friends what had happened that afternoon, giving them every detail available. Though at first, they were absolutely shocked at the news, they calmed down as they received the details, learning that Cody was unhurt and that everything would be okay, so long as they didn't go on a witch hunt for the kidnappers. All in all, they took it much better than Cody had expected them to.

"Here we go, I got a link," Jared smiled, pulling up a page. The article at hand talked about the controversial decision of Ideal Imports taking on an investor as one of their administrators, despite his past affiliation with the Cipher. The man's name: Professor Wendell Douglas. And judging by the picture in the article, it was definitely the man that had "negotiated" with Cody.

"Huh, he didn't look like a Wendell or a Douglas," Cody mused, trying to make a joke, but falling flat on his face. "Quick, put his name into Wikipedia. I want to see what comes up." Jared was way ahead of him, already opening another tab. Within seconds, his page came up.

_Professor Wendell Timothy Douglas (1957) is a pokémon trainer and professor native to Skitrex. He is well known for multiple endeavors including his victory at Skitrex's 1978 Diamond Beach tournament, his political activism, his studies involving "legendary" pokémon, his administrative position within the Skitrexian branch of Ideal Imports, and his former affiliation with the Cipher, a criminal organization in Orre._

"I'm beginning to remember now," Jared said to himself as he read the passage. "I think he had something to do with Moltres. It was before our time though."

"Yeah, I've heard of him too. He just never stuck out in my mind," Heather agreed.

"His name is vaguely memorable," Cody added. Now that he was thinking about it, he remembered the name 'Wendell Douglas' pop up during reports of the Cipher back in their hay day. "We have a starting point here. Let's look at the bullet points."

They started with Father Ezekiel's abilities as a trainer. He was considered to be very good, listed as one of the best in his prime. After winning at Diamond Beach, he challenged the league the next year, only to lose to the final member of the Elite Four. He was offered several positions throughout his time as a gym leader or an Elite Four member, but declined all of these positions, save for a few times when he filled in positions at gyms when said gyms were between leaders. The article stated that the man preferred research, focusing on his studies to become a professor before going into the study of legendary pokémon in particular.

_Douglas is one of the few professors who specialized in legendary pokémon in particular, assessing why their biology allowed them to live for centuries and beyond without seeming to age. He is responsible for the cell regeneration theory, a principle of biology that allowed for certain pokémon to temporarily reverse the aging process of their cells, allowing them to remain young in form and potentially live forever or at least a very long time with certain species. However, this theory has yet to be fully proven and because of this, Douglas lost much of his funding. He has still been a leading expert on legendary pokémon, being able to predict their patterns and locations with accuracy, given the right resources. One of his biggest successes was being the first person to breed two Moltres in captivity, an event that the International Pokémon League recognized by gifting a Master Ball to him. Legendary pokémon that he has studied on the field include Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Lugia…_

_ "_Huh, he was at Sootopolis during the Groudon/Kyogre incident," Jared said, intrigued. "This guy has been everywhere." There were numerous reports on the Father's legendary studies, but they seemed unimportant in comparison with other details. For example, it listed that he was very active in the political scene, donating great sums of his income to candidates that favored socialist values. As for his work at I.I., it seemed unimportant as well, being that most of the controversy lied with the fact that he was briefly affiliated with the Cipher.

_In 2003, Douglas turned himself in to Interpol officers before the first wave of the Cipher incident began in the region of Orre. In return for clemency, Douglas reported key information and provided Interpol with crucial files regarding the organization, including his aid in helping the Cipher collect legendary pokémon including Suicune, Raikou, Entei, Arcticuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and the DNA of Lugia which the organization used to make a clone for the shadow pokémon project. In his public apology, Douglas stated:_

_ "As a lifelong trainer, researcher, and friend of pokémon, I am sincerely sorry for my association with the Cipher. I worked with them out of vanity to continue my own research as well as to help them bring unity to Orre. When I learned about their real plans and the shadow pokémon project, I knew that I had gone too far. I can only hope that I may be forgiven for my crimes."_

"I almost feel bad for him… you know, if he didn't have you kidnapped or anything," Heather murmured. Cody knew that she was right in her way of thinking. Judging by what he had heard from the man, he sounded like he did not intend for things to happen as they did in Orre. They continued to read, skipping to the section on his personal life.

_Prof. Wendell Douglas married Susan Scott in the year 1975 when the two were only eighteen years old and divorced ten years later. They had three children together (Julia, Hannah, and Kyle Douglas.) Julia Douglas was murdered in 2007 and the killer is still at large, though the case is cold for the time being. Hannah Douglas is regarded as a skilled trainer, currently working as a gym leader in Canada's pokémon league. Kyle Douglas entered politics, working as an ambassador in Saudi Arabia. _

"I think we've read enough for now," Cody interrupted, impatiently. "Now, what do we do?"

"We should tell somebody," Heather suggested seriously. "I know he threatened your family and friends and us, but couldn't we file an anonymous report with the police or something?"

"That won't work," Cody replied, shaking his head. "If that guy hears anything about this, he could do something to anybody he listed, even if the charge goes nowhere."

"Cody's right," Jared agreed, saying those two words that he rarely combined in such a way. "As much as I hate to admit it, we probably can't do anything. The negatives greatly outweigh the positives on this one."

"So what, we just walk away?" Heather argued, infuriated. "There has to be something we can do! He doesn't deserve to get away with this!"

"You're right, Heather, he doesn't," Cody agreed, putting his hand on her shoulder. He noticed Jared's scowl deepen slightly at this gesture, but he thought little of it. "But you guys, my family, my other friends… they don't deserve to be hurt by the Brotherhood. Father Ezekiel said that if we mind our own business, his people won't harm us or those we love, so we should cut our losses."

"And you believe that?" Heather questioned, doubting the offer given to them.

"I don't know, but it's our best option," Cody agreed solemnly.

"Okay… I trust you," Heather said, relinquishing her anger. The three trainers just stood there for another minute, not sure of how to handle the fact that they were to be watched by the shady organization. Each of them felt uneasiness about the prospect of being under a continuous watch, for now, it was as if there would always be a fourth person in the room with them at all times, ready to report any threatening move that they made. No secrets were truly safe, and for Cody especially, that made him feel powerless.

* * *

**Author's Note: For those of you who caught the word "Socialism" floating around in this fic, I want you all to know that this story is not, and never has been, about political sway or anything like that. Just so we're all clear.**


	36. Chapter 36: Breaking a Soul

**Hey guys, I've been on a roll lately with updating these. It might help that this one is mostly dialogue. We're coming close to the end of Book One, so stay tuned! **

**Review Response:**

_Ezekiel is one smooth operator. He's set himself up to look so good to the point where I can't tell if he's really evil._

**Maybe he isn't evil. Maybe he's the real hero of this story and Cody is just some wannabe badass? Either way, obviously evil villains are out of style. It's all about the Byronic Hero, friends.**

_We get to see what could be THE big bad of the fic, or at least one of them (Darkrai is still a thing)._

**Ezekiel actually made an appearance in Chapter 20, albeit briefly. Still, it is the first time Cody met him, so that's something.**

**Anyway, thanks to my new co-beta NicKenny for the editing of this chapter. What a bro.**

**And now…**

* * *

**Cody: **Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Cortez (Litwick), Eevee

**Heather: **Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Gloom), Smaug (Trapinch), Sasha (Eevee)

**Jared: **Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Shelgon, Onix, Fearow

**Chapter 36: Breaking a Soul**

Another battle with Jared: by Cody's count, this was the twenty-sixth match that the two of them had together and he still couldn't pick up a win, though he did make a draw once, but only because Jared was using his three weakest pokémon at the time. It was easy to see why Cody was unsuccessful though, being that Jared was more experienced and his pokémon were older, but the more the younger trainer battled him, the closer he got to winning. It was all about dissecting the opponent's strategy at hand while adapting his own simultaneously while monitoring his pokémon. Multi-tasking all of that was difficult at first, but slowly, Cody was getting better at it. Still, while Jared was a challenge, he was growing weary with battling him. He needed somebody fresh who he hadn't analyzed yet. Unfortunately, the more badges he collected, the harder it was to find somebody on his level of experience.

"Colossal, Rock Throw!" The pupa pokémon bounced a large stone into the air before hurling it at the Fearow, missing by inches.

"Barrel roll into a Steel Wing!" Jared ordered, not focused on his pokémon's match-up but more concerned with her results. The two had started a four vs. four battle about ten minutes ago and it continued to rage on. Both Mars and Cortez had already lost to Jared's newly evolved Shelgon, but when Antonia entered the fray, she managed to defeat both Jared's Shelgon and his Onix before he brought in his Fearow. The older boy's bird was much more experienced as a flying type and was able to pick apart Antonia, who had taken a Rock Slide to the back of her neck earlier. However, Colossal was now in the fray, fighting the long-beaked bird pokémon with few problems.

"Harden!" Cody's pokémon briefly tightened his body, since there would be no escaping this Steel Wing attack. The bulky pokémon managed to absorb the attack, but it obviously hurt like a bitch when the Fearow struck his face with her flashing iron wing. Still, he had plenty left in the tank, allowing him the energy to blast himself into the other wing as the Fearow flew away. The crippling shot brought her to the earth, but she managed to get back in the air, despite her wing being slightly messed up. As a last ditch move, she spun into a Drill Peck, but right before she could hit the Pupitar, Colossal thumped the lower part of his shell against the ground, pulling up a big rock that smashed into the Fearow's underside. The combination of the rock hitting her belly with the impact of crashing into the ground was enough for Colossal to win the match-up.

"Good job, girl," Jared praised as he recalled his Fearow. "Alright, I'm going to end this now. Come out, Charmeleon!"

Cody clenched his fist at the sight of Jared's first and strongest pokémon. Charmeleon was even more of a powerhouse than the first time Cody fought it, having moves that allowed him to deal with multiple types foes. Even a rock and ground pokémon like his Pupitar would have a hard time facing a pokémon with the wisdom that Charmeleon had.

"Ember."

"Shift left and Rock Throw!" Colossal just barely dodged the light fire that flew from the Charmeleon's mouth, though even if it hit, the weak flames would have been an annoyance at most to the rock type pokémon. But that was probably Jared's game plan here, putting minor pressure on the enemy and looking for an opening. It was a wise strategy for facing a pokémon with an elemental advantage, but Cody knew how to handle it, or at least he thought he did. The pupa pokémon hurled a stone, but the fiery lizard smashed it with his claw, shattering the rock into tiny pieces. He followed this up with a Smoke Screen, filling the air with the black byproduct of his fire. Still, whether it was by luck or by instinct, Colossal managed to perform a Body Slam, carrying him and the Chameleon out of the smoke. The two of them were now wrestling and Charmeleon was trying to penetrate his shell with his Fire Fang. But strong as his jaw was, he was unsuccessful.

"Keep wearing him down! Thrash!"

"Knock him back and drum!" Jared shouted in response. With a solid smack, the Charmeleon knocked the Pupitar back with a Metal Claw before striking his belly with his long, burning tail, leaving a dull burn mark. An interesting maneuver on Charmeleon's part, given that the self-inflicted burn on that portion of the body activated a hormone that would act as an adrenaline rush, pumping him with extra strength but leaving him slightly vulnerable. It was a great technique for facing a defensive opponent, but not so great when having to face more than just that one opponent. Luckily for Jared, Colossal was his last obstacle.

"Don't let him touch you! Rock Slide!" Colossal still could not have the boulders roll on their own, but he had adapted the attack in a different way, bringing up more, much smaller stones that rolled with him in the form of a small wave, similar to how Mars used Bulldoze. This variant take on the move was faster than the large boulder form, but slightly less powerful. Luckily, the blue shelled behemoth was becoming better at figuring out which form of the Rock Slide he ought to use and when. The small form was effective, as he speedily smacked Charmeleon without taking damage from one of those sharp claws. After landing a second slide, Colossal bounced himself into the air and created a Magnitude upon landing. A small crack formed near the lizard, knocking him off balance as another part of the ground jutted upwards slightly, knocking him multiple ways.

"Great, while he's out of it, Dark Pulse!"

"Focus and use Flamethrower!" Jared ordered, and just like that, his Charmeleon snapped to attention and let a stream of fire fly from his mouth towards the pupa pokémon. The attack blazed through the Dark Pulse and engulfed Colossal, who let out a stress hum in his pain. When the flames subsided, the Pupitar was glowing white hot from the flames, and although they didn't hurt him so much, he was burned pretty badly. Hopefully, he would be able to shed the thin, first layer of his rocky hide, but before he could peel, he was smacked various times by the Charmeleon's strengthened slashes.

"Chip Away!" Cody yelled out frantically, but despite Colossal's best efforts, Charmeleon smacked him hard with his burning tail, and the pupa pokémon took critical damage. Before he even hit the ground, Cody could tell that his pokémon was out.

"Alright, Charmeleon!" Jared said to his pokémon who he had approached, patting him on the head and feeding him a piece of kibble. He looked over at Cody, who was tending to his fainted pokémon the best who could without getting burned. "You were doing well in the end, but you shouldn't have used Dark Pulse that early. Charmeleon's got the edge on long range attacks, and his Flamethrower easily swallowed up the pulse."

"Yeah, I thought I could get away with it," Cody sighed exasperatedly, petting Colossal on his head where he had cooled off. "How'd we do over all?"

"Well, your Skarmory and Pupitar were in top form, as always," Jared complimented, turning his eyes to the sky as he recalled the battle. "A few mistakes here and there, but good overall. It's your Litwick and Diglett that you need to worry about."

Cody already knew Jared's critique with Mars. Despite his reckless abandon, he was disciplined and intelligent in most scenarios. The big problem was that he was not evolved. The Diglett hunt was still fruitless, and while Cody knew that there were quite a few professional trainers that had non-fully evolved pokémon on their team, Mars needed this badly.

"What about Cortez?" Cody asked, curiously.

"Well, he's a smart pokémon, but he just doesn't seem to be taking most of his battles seriously," Jared answered earnestly. "I get that he's a happy pokémon, but he seems too unfocused. Maybe when he gets older and evolves, things…" He trailed off as the memories of that Chandelure returned to him. Shaking the feeling off, he looked back down to Cody, who had stood up again before returning Colossal. "Other than that, good fight. Maybe if you had used Bastion, this would have been closer.

"Yeah, maybe…" Cody looked down at the Eevee pup, who was looking up at him, wagging her tail. Day by day, she was getting less anxious and even seemed to enjoy watching Cody's battles, barking happily during the most intense actions. Perhaps someday she could battle again? It was still too early to tell. "You know… I may have also been at fault with Cortez not focusing. I can't focus at all these days. Ever since we were in Lockton-"

"Yeah, I feel you," Jared agreed, his voice sounding embittered. "I keep expecting to see that Venonat following us again." His face softened some as he tried to change the subject before it got underway. "But we can't worry about some shady brotherhood tailing us. The next badge is going to require all of our focus, being that it's a double battle badge. Coordination is key in those match ups."

"True," Cody agreed half-heartedly. "Who will you be teaming with, since you're in a higher tier and what not?"

"I don't know, they'll place me with somebody," Jared replied, pondering the question himself. "But it doesn't matter. We'll have a week to practice and coordinate before the fight, so I'm not worried." But after saying this, his frown grew very deep. "You'll be teaming with Heather, I presume?" The way he said it did not sound pleased at all.

_That tone… something is up._ But Cody answered genuinely as he could. "Yeah, we figured since we know each other and all. Heather doesn't like it though. She days I'm too domineering in double battles and stuff."

"Well, no offense, but you are kind of a glory hog," Jared said, chuckling lightly.

"It's not like I tell her pokémon what to do. I just have great ideas. People should just accept that," Cody complained, though he knew where Heather was coming from on this subject. The two of them began walking. "Speaking of Heather… what's up with you two?"

"Huh?" Jared grunted as the two of them began to head back to town. But Cody could tell the other teenager was hiding something.

"She says you've been distant lately. I kinda see it too. Like just then when you brought her up, you seemed to get pissed at something. And for once, I know I didn't do anything. I've been on my best behavior lately and-"

"It's that obvious, is it?" Jared interrupted with a question as he stopped in his tracks. Cody had to back up a few steps to face him.

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "If you two have a problem, you should talk it-"

"Cody," Jared interjected again, this time, his voice sounding much darker, "I am going to ask you a question, and as a man, I want you to answer me completely honestly. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, uh… sure." The younger boy was beginning to get anxious at where this conversation was headed. He had no idea why this had anything to do with him.

"Okay," Jared continued. Taking in a deep breath, he asked the million dollar question. "What is going on between you and Heather?"

The younger boy felt his face go a ghostly pale at this question. "Wha- what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Jared replied forcefully.

"Nothing then," Cody answered sincerely, still kind of flustered by the question. "I don't even know where you're getting this from. Really, this is-"

"Don't act like a moron," Jared cut in once more, now growing irritated. "Anybody with a pair of eyes can tell that you had a thing for her. Heck, I could tell when I first asked you about her back in Tempest. Maybe you don't anymore, but that's a slim chance in my book. You're a lot like your friend, Laurence, in that way, with nice guy exterior, but the womanizing player attitude undernea-"

"Shut up about Laurence," Cody shot back, now getting angry in return. "You only met the guy once and I've known him since I was five!"

"But am I right about him?"

For a moment, Cody was left defenseless, because while Laurence was a good guy, Jared was a little bit right about him. But it was time to state the facts. "Jared, how the hell am I a womanizer? I haven't had a date since I started last year, mostly because I'm too caught up in other shit as it is. In case you've forgot, while I've been trying to break out of the shadow that my brother cast as a trainer, I've also been stalked, attacked, and kidnapped by some weird organization. I can't call home half the time without my mother and I getting into a shouting match over something and I can practically see my parents' marriage crumbling in front of my eyes. And on top of THAT, I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep. So please, what the hell did I do to deserve this?"

Jared had been listening calmly while Cody ranted and while he did not always like what his traveling companion had to say, he could tell that Cody was being sincere. Suddenly, he felt bad about what he had accused Cody of. Even though it was strange to see Cody shift from a tactless moron to something more serious, he had to admit that the younger teenager had been a lot easier to deal with as of late. That being said, he wasn't about to apologize for his accusation. In his mind, a lot of the negative things he told the younger boy were true.

"Look…" Jared restarted, suddenly feeling a lot lower. "It's not you so much. It's Heather. I…" His eyes dropped and his cheeks turned slightly pink in embarrassment. "I saw Heather kiss you."

"Wha-…" Confusion, disbelief, and shock all passed through Cody's expression at once as his eyes widened and his mouth fell agape. Finally, he said, "we… we never kissed." He would have definitely remembered that if it had happened.

"I know, you didn't kiss her," Jared corrected him, only to confuse him even more. "The day we found her," he began, pointing at Cody's Eevee, who was sitting obediently by his side, "she kissed you on the cheek while you were asleep. I saw her do it, but she didn't see me."

_She kissed me? But I was asleep, so it wasn't my fault… that's kinda creepy though._ "Jared," he began to speak again, remembering to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to make the situation worse. "A kiss on the cheek. That's not necessarily romantic or anything. Why are you getting so upset?"

"Because it's the way she looked at you afterward." His voice was growing shaky and awkward as he was obviously uncomfortable talking about the subject. "Like… she wanted to do it but it was something that she wanted nobody to see it. A dirty little secret…"

"No secrets, right?" Cody asked. Of course Heather would break her own rule. Hell, by now, the rule was pretty much dead in the water among the three of them. "Look, I think you should talk to her about this. I don't think that what she did was supposed to be malicious or anything. But just say something. She's really worried about you."

"Yeah, I don't know about that," Jared replied, not looking at Cody anymore as the two started walking again. "You're right though, for once. If I wanted to fix things, talking would be the right thing to do. However… I think maybe it's time that I go."

"Go?" Cody asked, stopping in mid-stride. "You mean… what, go away?" Suddenly, he his concern jumped to a new level.

"Huh, I figured this is what you would have wanted. But you don't sound so excited," he commented, his tone uncaring.

"Hey now, I never said that I wanted you to leave," Cody cut in, though while it was something that he had wanted a few times, he never explicitly stated it. "But this isn't about me. This is… you can't just leave Heather without telling her what's wrong. That's not-"

"This isn't just about her," Jared cut in, his voice growing seriously. "This got me thinking about what the heck I'm doing with my life right now. I've been getting stronger, but I'm already a gym behind because I've been traveling with you two and we've been to a gym that I already beat. The way I see it, I'm falling behind and the slower I gather gym badges, the longer it will take me to get to Diamond Beach, get recognized, get sponsored by big name companies, and be able to gain custody of Dina."

_Dina._ It had been a long time since Cody had heard that name, and for good reason. Jared didn't like to talk about his life with Cody when he could help it. There were a few times in the past when he heard him talking with her on the phone, but other than that, she was a ghost to him. "How is she by the way?" he asked softly.

"Not well," Jared answered, still seeming to be distracted. "She got switched to another foster family. She's a good kid, but after all she's been through, she's been a hand full. While she's better off now than being with mother, she needs a family. A _real _one. If I can get to Diamond Beach and at least get into the Top 32, I'll get recognized for sure. After that, then comes tournament scenes around the world, and if I get lucky, I may be able to get a position in a country's pokémon league as a gym leader or something. I don't need to be a champion. I just need a steady income… She's only eight years old, and here I am, backtracking across Skitrex because I have a girlfriend now who may not even like me all that much. It's irresponsible. Hell, even you aren't dating by choice, and you don't have nearly as good a reason not to… No offense."

"None taken," Cody answered nonchalantly. Still, Jared's situation was a daunting one and he was not sure what the right answers would be. "Look, if you leave us because you want to get emancipated, I understand. Heather would understand too, even if it upsets her. But for the love of God, don't just leave her without an explanation. She does really like you… hell, I think you've been good for her. Kept her sane and what not."

"Kept her… what?" Jared asked, not understanding the point Cody was making.

"Dude, she ran away from home to travel because I inspired her or some shit. I had just met her. That's just a little bit insane. But seriously, don't talk to her because I told you to. Do it for her."

"Huh." Jared just stared ahead into blank space for a few seconds before speaking again. He seemed to be deep in thought over what he and Cody had spoken about, but he had not reached a conclusion yet. "I'll think about it. Thanks for being honest with me." He began walking again. "If you don't mind, I'd like to walk back alone. I need to think."

This just baffled the younger boy. "There's only one path back to town! How am I supposed to get back?"

"You'll think of something," Jared shot back, not even looking back in acknowledgement.

_Ungrateful little…_ He sighed and released Antonia from her pokeball. She seemed to have recovered some from the battle, and in happiness to see her trainer, she affectionately nudged her head against his chest as he touched her neck. "You wanna go for a quick ride?" he asked.

She seemed to understand, spreading her wings so Cody could hop on her back. Once he got a hold of her neck, she got a running start and got up into the air with no difficulty. The process of Cody flying with her had become so much easier after all the practice the two of them had together.

_Thanks for being honest with me._ Jared's words buzzed through his head as he recalled that there was something he wasn't honest about when Jared asked him about if there was anything going on with him and Heather. He had asked a few weeks ago if she would run away with him to escape the lies that were told and the secrets that were hidden. She had never told Jared about it and he didn't suspect it, but now, the secret weighed on his conscience. Though he had been doing it for some time, he could no longer suppress the feelings he had for Heather, now that all of the awkwardness was up in the air between the trio, though everybody still had their own secrets. But he knew better than to say anything directly for the time being.

"I'm thinking too much," he said to himself as the wind crashed into his face during the Skarmory's flight. "I don't have time for this drama. I have a gym battle soon and some crazy radicals spying on me. I… damn it… I just need some sleep. It's been about a day since I last slept. Heather will kill me if I don't." As the town appeared in his field of vision, the idea of crashing into a nice, comfy bed was growing more appealing by the second.

* * *

"_One night of sleep. That's all I wanted. One measly night of sleep. Why can't I even get that?" He was back in the Darkrai dream again and even though he knew it was futile, he was trying his hardest to wake up. "I'd rather be awake and cranky than stuck in this crap again."_

_ "Oh, I'm sooo sorry. Did I come at a bad time? Should we reschedule to fit your oh so terrible life?" Darkrai's voice oozed with mockery as he emerged from the darkness. Rather than appear as the colorless eyes like he normally did, he appeared as the monochrome copy of Cody as he had when they had explored Darkrai's past._

_ "Just saying, I'm sick of all of this crap. All I want to do is train my pokémon and not have to put up with you or that organization or-"_

_ "Oh yes, about that," Darkrai interrupted, posing as if he was leaning against a wall, although Cody could see nothing to lean against, "It was good of you that you did not align yourself with them. After all, a servant cannot have two masters."_

"_I am not your servant," Cody replied firmly. He expected to be slapped by the Dark One, but he was taken by surprise when his clone form punched him in the face, breaking his dream nose._

"_You are," Darkrai answered simply. "You just haven't accepted it as your destiny… yet. You do not understand my noble goals to return the universe to its former-"_

"_By killing the guardians, causing rifts in our reality and possibly killing everybody?" Cody challenged, only to get punched again._

"_Dear Cody," Darkrai scolded as he casually scanned his fist that he used to punch the teenager with. "Even after I showed you what had happened to reality; how it has been changed, perverted… and you still believe that things are better as you are? Who are you to say that reality should remain as it is? You have only been alive for fifteen years. I have seen the corruption first hand. While the past century has been relatively clean, it is only a matter of time before something else happens… in fact, I have seen glimpses of the possible futures lingering in the spirit world. Many of them show Arceus casting another "Flood of Justice" unto the Earth. If that were to happen…" He seemed to lose himself in his own thoughts as he stared into the darkness._

"_Look, I'm trying to understand you here, but you're not selling me here. I have no idea what a "Flood of Justice" is, but it sounds bad. And maybe Arceus and the Guardians shouldn't have taken control by merging themselves with the constructs of the universe. But what you want to do… it could possibly destroy the world or even the universe in its entirety. And even if it doesn't destroy the world, do you honestly believe that you can rule better than Arceus?"_

"_Yes, because I will rid the world of the corruption once and for all, and never again will the universe be toyed with under my watchful eyes."_

"_You seem so sure of yourself, but how do you even plan to do all of that if you can't get a body to begin with? And again, what would you want with my body? I'm not immortal."_

"_You are correct," Darkrai answered. "But tell me, who among the physical realm is immortal?"_

"_Nobody, right?... Oh wait." He remembered what he had read about legendary pokémon on Father Ezekiel's bio. Something about how legendary pokémon could reverse the aging process in their cells somehow. If these pokémon weren't technically immortal, they could use this process to theoretically live forever, like Ezekiel had predicted. Whatever the case, perhaps this had to do with a guardian. "Do… you want to use a guardian as a vessel?"_

"_Good work," Darkrai laughed, clapping his hands. "In the form of a guardian, both my original power and the power of my new form would merge, birthing a being of two strengths!"_

"_But then why take my body?" Cody prodded, frustrated by the vagueness of it all. "Besides, you can't take the form of a guardian that has existed previously if it doesn't have a piece of your soul. Taking me doesn't get you closer to taking the form of a guardian."_

"_Oh ho, but it does!" Darkrai exclaimed, sounding positively giddy, despite the hollowness in his voice. "I'll let you in on a little secret." Suddenly, the entire room went so dark that the young teenager couldn't even see Darkrai or the white mist of the black void. _

When he could see again, the two of them reappeared on a rocky floor. From what Cody could tell, they were now standing on the top of tall, decrepit tower, somewhere in the ocean, for all he could see in horizon was water. But when he turned around, what he saw made chills run through his body. Coiled on top of the tower was a long, emerald colored, scaly monster. From its snake-like head extended four horn-like growths, and the scaly plates that covered its body, it had a glowing yellow pattern that stretched down its body.

"Rayquaza…" he muttered in awe, remembering the pokémon that he had been on TV during the Groudon/Kyogre clash that had occurred in Hoenn all those years ago. But something was wrong. The pokémon seemed to be sleeping and its colors were slightly dulled. "What's wrong with it? I thought Rayquaza never landed."

"Correct," Darkrai answered walking up to the sleeping pokémon. "Normally, Rayquaza can sleep while flying far above the world. However, at the time this memory was made, Rayquaza was in a dormant state."

"Dormant?"

Darkrai answered the question with a lengthy explanation. "All pokémon who have physical forms have physical limitations, including the guardians. From time to time, though it seldom occurs, a guardian will need to enter a dormant state in order for it to regain its youth and prowess. When its body has regained its youthfulness, they will return to their duties, but until then, they are locked in this state, unable to move. Under normal circumstances, this state can last as little as one year, though it can last for much longer. During this time, the guardian is completely vulnerable."

"Huh…" Cody now approached the dormant Rayquaza, cautious; as if he were afraid it would wake up and attack, even though this was only a memory. "So, if this were real, what would you have me do?"

"Assuming that I have had a complete adjustment to your body and you allowed me into your form, I would have you walk up to this monster, touch it, and then allow me to pass from your body into his."

"Wait, what?" Cody gasped taking a step away from the nightmare version of himself, who was grinning widely. "You can do that? Don't you need his acceptance as well?"

"In this state?" Darkrai smirked. "He is completely vulnerable with absolutely no will of his own."

"And you can just go into his body without a piece of your soul in him?" Cody questioned.

"During the first few hours, my presence would not settle within your body, allowing me to transfer into another willing or dormant vessel before I became permanently… attached, so to speak."

"So you'd need to take my body right before…" Cody pondered. Suddenly, his attention peaked. "Then what would happen to me and my body?"

Darkrai's grin grew even sicker in appearance. "Dear boy… without a presence, your body would die."

For some reason, this led Cody to snap like a whip. "So you just want me to be your vessel for one minute before you leave my body for dead? Why the hell would I want to help you with that?"

"Isn't that cute, you think you have a choice!" Darkrai giggled gleefully. "By then, you'll be begging me to take your body! Besides, if you're a good little dog, I'll make sure that your soul gets its own little slice of heaven in the spirit world. You'll get to skip the apocalypse that I'll bring to this world to cleanse it of its corruption. And for eternity, you'll live with the satisfaction that you have made the universe a better place."

"And I'm supposed to believe that garbage?" Cody shot back, angrily. Before Darkrai could answer, he continued to rant. "Besides, how do I know that I'll beg for death? Maybe I'll overcome like all the others."

"The others?" Darkrai roared. Before Cody could react, his shadow-self grabbed him by the neck and held him up above the ground, choking him. "Nobody has overcome! Failures as they may be, they have all died or gone insane! And I have been getting closer to full control with every victim!" His rage simmered as quickly as it began, though his smile did not return. "Do you want to see what happens to those who disobey me?"

"I don't think I have much choice," Cody sputtered as he gasped for air, but Darkrai's choke was too tight for him to breathe properly. Upon being thrown down to the ground, the scene went black. When the light returned, Cody could see that the two of them had emerged in another memory, though he couldn't tell the time period of when the memory was made. The people shown were wearing strange clothing by his standards, and some of the women wore long dresses and shawls on their heads. The children looked incredibly dirty and poor, many of them having no shoes. Judging by the horse drawn wagons in the background, they were all probably nomadic Still, these folks looked happy enough, as some of the adults were playing foreign looking instruments and the children roughhoused with several small pokémon.

"Where are we? When are we?" Cody questioned as he started to guess the answers himself.

"The year is 1951, and this is the outskirts of Kirben Town in the south west of Skitrex. What you are looking at is a traveling community of French gypsies that immigrated here a little over a decade before this memory was made. But at large, none of these people you see truly amounted to anything. None except for her…" The monochrome copy of Cody pointed at a woman who stood idly by, watching the children as she leaned against a wagon. Most of the people looked incredibly forgettable, but this woman would have sparked his interest. Even if Darkrai hadn't singled her out, she stood out, namely because she was rather attractive with her long, wavy black hair, delicate face, and intriguing clothing, including her shawl and her shoulderless dress. The combination of those things was enough for her to be interesting to him. He guessed that she was about twenty or so.

"Who is she?" Cody asked, his voice fading in wonder.

Darkrai seemed amused by his question. "Her name is Stella Delacroix, but you know her as Ma-"

"Wait, what?" Cody cried, predicting what Darkrai was going to say. "_That's _Madame Stella?" He couldn't believe that the hideous, creepy, one-eyed gypsy was once this good looking woman that he saw in the flashback. _What the hell happened?_

"As you can see, she was once an attractive young woman. Despite being poor, she lived a good and honest life… well, as honest as a gypsy fortune teller can be at least," Darkrai explained, smirking evilly at his description. "Her family and her immigrated from France before World War II was well underway, stowing away on a cargo ship. Overall, she adjusted well, exploiting clients with her exotic charm. I believe she was engaged to be married at this point, but it's hard for me to care about that. What I do care about is him." Darkrai now directed Cody's attention to a man who was staggering into the gypsy encampment. He was middle aged, wore filthy clothing, and had a haggard face of one who had never seen anything but trouble and pain.

"Why? He looks like the town drunk," Cody commented, almost being able to smell the man, despite not receiving scent related sensations from the revisited memory.

"He is," Darkrai affirmed. "His name is Norman Mc… something or another. I don't remember, nor do I care. He's long dead anyway; died a few days after this memory to be exact, due to alcohol poisoning and starvation. At the time, he was one of my current marked humans, but when I began to integrate myself with his mind, he went completely insane at an alarmingly fast rate, making him a poor candidate for my goals. In the end, it probably didn't help that he was severely uneducated and an alcoholic when I found him." Darkrai paused, allowing Cody to observe the scene that transpired. The man from the nearby town wandered into the camp and collapsed in a heap near where the gypsies kept their Ponyta that they kept for pulling their wagons. Upon his collapse, the gypsies swarmed him, probably checking to see if he was carrying anything valuable. When they saw that he was not, they immediately returned to what they had been doing. Only Stella remained by the man's side, bringing him a cup of water to drink when he was conscious once more.

"It was because of Stella's compassion that I saw her through the man's eyes that day," Darkrai explained. "When I saw that she was marked, I immediately visited her dreams the first chance I had. Oh, how excited I was. She was so strong, confident, not too easily swayed but not completely unbreakable either. She was also much stronger in mind than Norman was, meaning that she would probably last longer under the mental stress I planned to put her through."

At that point, the scene went black before lightening again to a memory of Stella awakening in a sweat in the middle of the night, panting excessively out of terror.

"So, you're basically did to her what you've been doing to me now?" Cody questioned. The Dark One nodded.

"More or less. It always follows a pattern with the strong ones. At first, they think it's just a dream, but as my visits become recurrent, they grow fearful. Eventually, as I adjust to their psyche, I make my visits more frequent, slowly chipping away at their wills. Finally, when I can enter their consciousness at will, they usually break. This can lead to disastrous results, so I must be delicate yet firm."

"So why didn't it work with her?" Cody braced himself for another physical assault, but Darkrai didn't seem to be irritated by his victim's question. Maybe by now, he had accepted his past failure?

The Dark One continued his story when the scene flashed to a mountain grove. The location seemed to be untouched by humans, as there didn't even seem to be a trail leading to it and it was covered with flora and displaced stones. But even more fascinating than this undiscovered grove was the pokémon that resided in it. The creature that levitated in a small clearing had a light lavender colored body, three crescent shaped growths that were darker shades of purple, and a golden, crescent shaped horn that split into two parts on both sides of its face. Like Rayquaza in the earlier memory, this pokémon was completely still and its colors were slightly dulled, making Cody assume that it was in a dormant state as well.

"Cresselia," Cody breathed. It was easy to recognize the pokémon, given that she had been seen by people and that she had entire documentaries about her existence.

"Yes, Cresselia," Darkrai repeated, his voice sounding embittered now. "Two and a half years after I entered Stella's mind, the troop she lived with made camp about twenty miles from this location. As luck would have it, my sister had entered her dormant state in this very grove." Darkrai's eyes shone with greed as a small, sick grin spread across his face. "Just think, to be able control both nightmares and dreams if I had taken my sister's body. I could easily bend every human to my will with such psychological power at my fingertips."

During Darkrai's monologue, Stella had pushed her way into the clearing, finding the stagnant Cresselia. She approached it, eyeing it for a few minutes before she extended her hand, though not quite touching the pokémon. All the while, she looked intensely troubled.

Darkrai interrupted the silence indignantly. "I was so close that I could almost taste the sensation of having a physical body again. I thought that I had broken Stella, but I overestimated how malleable she would be. When she began to have doubt of what she was doing, I told her of the reward she would receive in that her soul would be given a paradise and that she would improve the world. However, she denied me that day. I told her that if she walked away that day, I would make her life a living hell and take everything that she held dear away from her. She then told me that she believed me to be wrong and that she would accept a harsh fate in return for humanity's safety…" By now, Stella had put her hand down in a rapid movement and was proceeding to leave the grove. Her face looked assertive, but underneath her fearless expression, Cody could see a tiny piece of anxiety in the way that her eyes twitched. Darkrai's words must have had that effect on her.

"She lost everything," Darkrai commented, his tone cold and uncaring. "Her family, her friends, her fiancé: I took it all from her and replaced it with madness. Never since has she slept soundly. Never since has she had a moment of comfort. Never since has she had one person give a damn about her pitiful existence." Throughout this monologue, multiple scenes were flashing by. Some contained Stella screaming in agony whilst pulling out her hair and tearing at her clothes. In others, she was begging in the streets of the cities in the rain, receiving nothing in return. In some, she was being mocked and jeered by people, some of them even going as far as to beating the shit out of her. And in every scene, she looked slightly more withered, slightly uglier, and slightly madder. And every scene Cody saw made him feel even worse on multiple levels. He had treated Stella as if she was a monster, but she was a victim among victims. Watching the process of how Darkrai systematically destroyed her left him with sorrow and bleakness.

"She did find Arceus, but Ao is hardly a good companion for any human, no matter how devout, as he has taken a less direct role in the world's influence these days. After raiding one of his ruined temples to sell artifacts on the street, she claims to have become a seer of his. While it is true that she has a slightly deeper connection with him than most, look at what she has become. Now tell me Mr. Storm, was her sacrifice worth the price of a broken soul?"

_With a sudden flash, they were back in the Dark One's realm once more. Cody's mouth hung agape from what he had seen. It was a tragedy, plain and simple and it left him with nothing to say. Darkrai was just grinning at him, and from what Cody could gather, the dark spirit might as well have been saying "You have lost."_

"_What you did to her…" Cody began, his voice wavering in both astonishment and horror at what her had just saw, "that's just unfair, how you took everything-"_

"_Ahahaha!" The phantom's bellowing laughter filled the vast emptiness that was his domain. It was a full minute before his merriment subsided and he gave Cody a look of pure amusement at what he had stated. "You think there is any sort of fairness in life? Have you not looked outside and seen the inequality? If there is any sort of fairness, why are we all not born on even terms? Why are there people born to poverty or with severe physical or mental disabilities while others are healthy and in luxury's lap? Why are some trainers, such as yourself, talented, while others are doomed to squander away their savings at a game of sport? Why are there pokémon who are born, only to die at the hands of nature or a cruel trainer? Look at that Eevee that you adopted and tell me how her situation was fair, being fatally abused for no reason other than her weakness. If you can't see the unfairness of the universe in that, then you are a blind man who is beyond my help."_

_Cody was at a loss for words at this line of questioning, knowing that what Darkrai had just said was true. Nevertheless, destroying Madame Stella's psyche seemed like an evil thing to do, regardless of how unfair life could be, but he knew better than to argue this with the demon, believing that he would be unmoved._

"_Cliché as it may sound, we all have a destiny to face, Cody Storm," Darkrai continued when the silence had grown too lengthy. "Mine is to destroy the besmirched status quo that Ao has constructed. People like you and Madame Stella, it is your destiny is to aide me in that endeavor. We have all been dealt an unfair hand, Mr. Storm: you, when a piece of my soul attached to yours, and I, when I was created for the sake of 'balance,' and that I am without equal in my crusade for purity. But it is what we have now and forever. So again, should you accept me, things will be so much less painful for you and I will promise you relief when your body has served its purpose." He paused to wait for Cody to say something, but the teen was speechless again, trying to think of something to say. Darkrai was not patient enough to wait for him, so he asked, "Questions?"_

"_Which guardian?" Cody finally asked, though he couldn't stop looking at the ground. He felt unbelievably hopeless at this situation that had been presented to him. "Which guardian are you using me to get to?"_

"_I have a few in mind, but I do not know yet," the Dark One answered, shrugging casually at the thought as if he were simply picking a flavor of ice cream. "The future is scattered, but when I see an opportunity, we will take it. And yes, I mean 'we.' By then, you will be on the same page as me. But for now…" Darkrai turned away from Cody and walked away from him in the foggy darkness. "I must leave you. I have found something else that has garnered my interest this evening. I'll keep in touch, but in a few months, I'll be close enough to you to come to you on a more regular basis. With any luck, for the sake of your sanity, you'll be willing. It would be a shame to break a young man's soul before he has reached his prime. Nevertheless, such is life. Goodbye Cody Storm. I hope that when the time comes, you will embrace who you are, rather than run from it."_

_For the last time, he waited for Cody to say something, but after a minute or so, he figured that there was little that could be said between them for the time being._

* * *

His eyes slowly opened and he stared at the ceiling for what seemed like ages. The only sounds he could hear were Jared's snores and Heather's tossing and turning in the other bunk bed in the pokémon center's lodge room.

_How can I do this? How can I fight him at all? I feel so helpless. He's broken so many before me, so why would I be any different. Crap, I wish Heather actually believed me on this. I feel so alone. _But then he remembered Madame Stella, the old crone who would understand his feelings. And for once, he did not dread the idea of her visiting him. After all she had been through, he couldn't help but pity her in the most extreme sense of the word. There was really nothing else he could say about that, other than how painful it must have been to have everything stripped away from her through Darkrai's maddening influence. _Will that be what will happen to me? Will I end up alone and afraid, abandoned by those who love me?_ He looked at the Eevee pup that slept on his chest, but even her cute twitching couldn't make him smile. Would his pokémon abandon him too? For the chance to be a trainer, he had damaged his family's relationship that Derrick had already stomped on, and the thought of losing both them and his companions, both human and pokémon, was absolutely overwhelming.

_Stella. I must find Madame Stella. She'll have something to say to me._ Scooping the Eevee into his arms, Cody hopped down from the bunk bed, put on a shirt, and left the center's lodging space and then the center itself. Out in the warm, spring night, he waited for Madame Stella. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes... still no sign. It was at the hour mark that he retired once more to the comforts of the pokémon center, though even they could not comfort him in the absence of the old, tortured gypsy. Perhaps this was the first of the many abandonments that he was fated to face.


End file.
